


Achilles Academy And the Lightning Thief

by HopeLions13



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angsty demigod family, Gen, inspired by the musical
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-15
Updated: 2019-08-03
Packaged: 2020-03-05 23:11:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 94,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18838708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HopeLions13/pseuds/HopeLions13
Summary: Percy has been kicked out of the last five schools he went to, so he doesn't see why his mom is convinced Achilles Academy will be any different. Then he goes. Thrust into a world of chaos, high-jinks, and oh, did I mention gods, the only thing Percy can say for certain is that AA is definitely different. Especially, as danger looms. But does that save him from math class? Never.





	1. The Dog Days of Summer

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a few months back in a craze about the Lightning Thief Musical and posted it on Fanfiction. Since I'm now posting a bunch of stories over here, I figured I'd let this one go up. I'll be posting a chapter a day until it's all up just to spread it out a little, but it's all done. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1-The Dog Days of Summer

Look, maybe you don't believe in the Greek gods, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. If you're lucky, you can ignore them, pretend they don't exist and go about your life. But if you're like me and you're not lucky… well then you can't ignore the gods, even when they ignore you. One way or another their fits, their needs, their problems, they'll become yours. Then all you can do is pray you'll live through it. (Though who do you pray to when it's the gods who are causing you trouble?)

For all of you mortals out there, the following story will sound made up. You'll say to me 'Percy, that didn't happen', and I'll laugh and smile. It makes me happy to know there are people who can afford to go through their lives thinking the gods aren't real. Really, I mean it.

But if you're reading this and suddenly you feel something within you, some truth you can't quite pin down- stop reading. You may be a half-blood, and if you aren't, well you'll end up a Classics major, and that's just as bad. One way or another your life will go down the toilet. I mean it. I've put a lot of effort into writing down my story, but if it stirs something within you- stop reading. I promise I won't be insulted.

But if you think this is just a story, then I hope you enjoy it. There are lessons in it, even for mortals. I mean, they teach the Iliad in school for a reason. Read on, smile a little, laugh if you can, and learn something that will help you be a better person. And then, then ignore anything that makes you think maybe it isn't just a story. After everything that's happened, I have a new appreciation for lies. They're not all bad.

So yeah, that's my disclaimer. Oh and this as well- I'm ADHD and dyslexic, so this story will probably be all over the place. But then again, so is my life. All you can do is hang on.

I suppose it started with my birth, but I didn't know it at the time. So we're going to start with something I can actually remember- the day I developed a slight phobia of Sesame Street.

My summer was not going very well, not that I was surprised. Very few things in my life ever went well. That being said, this summer was especially bad. End of the last year I'd been expelled from my fifth school, and while we were appealing (How could I have known the canon was loaded? Who kept loaded canons just hanging around?) I knew I'd end up having to switch schools, again. It never seemed to matter whether-or-not it made sense for me to have caused the accidents which always got me expelled. The decision stood, and I had to move on.

So far as I knew, my mom hadn't found a new school for me yet. I hadn't seen any of the usual rejection letters, but she knew my luck well enough not to bet on winning the appeal, and I hadn't seen any acceptance letters either. I was beginning to think that I might end up in public school for the first time in my life. Frankly, that didn't sound too bad to me. It was a lot harder to get kicked out of a public school, and I was really getting sick of never going back to the same place twice. It made it really hard to make friends.

Strike that, it made it impossible to make friends, hence why I had none.

Me being friendless, and jobless, but too poor to go to summer camp, I spent most of my summer days just wandering Manhattan. You might be thinking 'Is that safe, letting an 11 year old wander Manhattan alone'. Truthfully it isn't, and definitely not something I would recommend to others, but I was pretty good at getting out of the tight spots I found myself in. I'd found over the years that if you walk really quickly away from anyone who looks shady, they probably won't bother you. Say what you will about the criminals of New York City, but they usually were decent enough that they wouldn't mess with a kid who didn't butt in where he didn't belong. The only thing I really had to worry about was kidnappers, but I guess I was never cute enough for them, because I'd never had any problems.

Besides, I was safer walking around Manhattan alone than I was in my apartment. My step-dad, Gabe, emitted an odor so foul I was liable to choke to death if I spent too much time at home. It was like living beneath the tale of a skunk. Plus Smelly Gabe was as foul as he smelled, and whenever I was home, he'd just remind me of what a loaf I was and how much better off my mom would be if I hadn't ever been born. He was right about that, but I didn't like hearing it all day. Call me selfish like that.

So I mostly just wandered about. Sometimes I would play pick-up games with the other kids that lived nearby. We had a descent league for basketball in June, but now it was mid-July, and everyone else was taking vacations to avoid the oppressive heat. I was in a particularly foul mood that day, because I'd gone to ask Diego if he wanted to play ball, and his mom had yelled at me. Apparently word had gotten around that I blew up a school bus, and suddenly everyone thought I was a terrorist or something. I tried explaining to Mrs. Brown that it wasn't my fault, but it did me no good. I was a 'bad kid' and Diego wouldn't be hanging out with me anymore. End of story.

She'd actually said that to me, that I was a 'bad kid', and the words spun in my head as I walked through the dusty streets. Were they true? I never meant to hurt anyone, but sometimes they got hurt anyways. Was that what made me a bad kid, the fact that I could hurt people without even trying? Maybe. It was hard to come up with any other explanation for why my life was such a mess.

Piece of advise, pay attention while walking in New York City. There are always lots of people around, and it's easy to bump into someone even when you're looking where you're going. When you're moody and brooding and not looking where you're going, well you're bound to get into trouble. And I did. I was thinking about Mrs. Brown's words, kicking up dust, when all of a sudden I kicked a big chunk of pavement. It flew up, arching high, and then smacked a guy right in the face. Horrified, I looked for somewhere to hide, but it was too late. They guy knew immediately that it was my fault, and he turned to me, growling.

But that's when things got weird, because when I say he turned to me growling, I mean it. He was literally growling. I hadn't noticed it before, but suddenly when I looked at him I saw not the face of an annoyed Manhattan businessman, but a snarling hound.

I took two steps back, mouth falling open, heart pounding. I blinked, hoping I'd just gotten something in my own eyes and things would go back to normal , but no such luck. When I looked again, the sight before me was even clearer. Standing there was a giant dog in trench coat, or, perhaps, a man in a trench coat with the head of a dog. The trench coat looked normal enough, or as normal as a trench coat can look, and the dog was just a simple Weimaraner, the breed of dog you always see playing poker in those paintings. Short, gray fur, bright blue eyes, and a long, pointed snout lined with teeth. In this case the mouth was open, and snarling, growling and biting at me.

But then it suddenly stopped, and the creature seemed almost to smile. "You can see me, can't you? I knew I smelled half-blood beneath that stink."

I didn't have a clue what was happening, but my instinct was to run. So, I did. I turned around and sprinted away, pushing through crowds, and crossing the street between furious taxis. I dared to turn around and look behind me, and sure enough the dog-man was chasing after me, snarling and snapping. I usually liked dogs, but there was nothing friendly at all about this one. I knew it would eat me if it caught me, so I couldn't stop running.

Unfortunately, I was eleven. Sure I was athletic, but I couldn't run faster than a full-grown man-dog. I was running as fast as I could, but I could hear the dogs snarls growing closer. I knew it was going to catch me. I just didn't know what else to do.

One weird thing happened as I ran that was worth noting. I should have been focusing on nothing but not-dying, but I'm ADHD, and even in life-or-death situations I'm prone to distraction. Therefore I started wondering (as the dog gained on me) why no one else seemed bothered by the fact that I was being chased by a dog with the body of a human. Sure, you see weird things all the time in New York, but nothing this weird. No one seemed to notice though. I heard a few people say, "Hey, someone call the dog catcher', but either they were being sarcastic jerks, or they didn't notice the dog was not really a dog. Somehow I knew it was the latter, which just didn't make much sense.

But since I was running for my life, I didn't get much time to think about it. Instead I tried to focus, tried to come up with a plan to not die. I reached Central Park at this point, which wasn't my smartest idea. Now that there was more space, the dog-man didn't have to push through crowds to get to me. Instead, he ran to my left, bounding across the grass and propelling himself off a rock. He landed right in front of me, close enough that when I turn and ran, he grabbed the back of my shirt. I screamed, pulling away as hard as I could. The shirt ripped, leaving a ball of cotton in the dog-man's mouth as I fell to the ground and tumbled away.

Rolling down a hill is only fun when you're trying to do it. When you're tumbling down a hill accidentally, well, that hurts. My neck felt ready to snap, sticks stuck into every crevice of my body, a rock jammed into the small of my back- when I finally came to a stop I was bleeding and bruised like you wouldn't believe.

I landed on the bank of the turtle pond, a short way away from a girl my age. She looked up at me and I swore her storm gray eyes were daggers. They certainly cut like them as she snapped, "This is a quiet zone. You can't do that."

I didn't have a chance to tell her it wasn't my choice; she figured it out. A moment later the dog-man came bounding down the hill towards us. The girl screamed (so much for the quiet zone) and suddenly pulled a bronze dagger from the backpack besides her, which was as terrifying as the dog-man. The dog-man was closer though, and heading straight at me, so I focused on getting away from it. But I had no where to go. Stupidly I backed up, and fell flat into the pond.

Two things happened at once. First, I got bitten by a snapping turtle. That didn't feel very good. But besides that, I suddenly felt better. My injuries no longer seemed so severe. I felt a strange tugging in my gut as I kicked my way back to the surface, and the water seemed to propel me, shooting me forward at an alarming speed. Suddenly, I burst straight out of the pond, and took half of the water with me. I drenched the shore, including the girl and the monster. For a moment, both were too shocked to do anything. That gave me the advantage I needed.

I didn't think. If I had, I would probably have died, but instead I trusted my instincts, and charged the monster. I grabbed its snout, wrapping my hands around it and gripping tight. The dog-man freaked, trying to pull from my grasp, but I managed to wrap my legs around it and cling like a koala. It took all my strength to hold the creature's mouth shut, but I managed it, even as it began to thrash, trying to throw me off.

The girl regained her senses at that moment, and charged us, dagger raised high. I worried for a second she'd stab me, for, I don't know, animal cruelty or something like that, but luckily she didn't. Instead she raised the weapon and jabbed at the monster. The dog-man saw it coming though, and spun at just the right moment, slamming me into the girl. I finally lost my grip, and went tumbling, landing half on top of the girl. She howled at me, "Get off me you idiot."

I didn't have time. The dog-man bent over, trying to rip out my throat. It would have succeeded had the girl's knife not landed so close to my hand. Still half on top of her, I grabbed the weapon, and when the dog-man came at me I slammed it upwards, straight through the trench coat, and into the monster's chest.

The creature exploded into yellow dust, leaving nothing but its trench coat behind. Somehow I found that more frightening than anything else, and shouted, dropping the dagger and rolling away from the girl and the trench coat. Only once I was far enough from both did my heartrate start to slow and my brain begin to work. Not that my next thought was very much help at all. All I did was stare at the trench coat and wonder, What?

A teenager dashed towards us. He didn't look like much- blond hair, blue eyes, maybe seventeen-but there was a scar beneath his right eye which made me uneasy. He looked dangerous, especially when he saw me standing there with the girl's knife.

Maybe he was impulsive too, because he didn't stop to ask questions. Instead he drew a full-length sword and charged. I would have died had the girl not managed to scramble to her feet and shout, "Luke no!"

The teen, Luke, stopped, looking down at the younger girl. She touched his arm gently, holding him back, and I figured they were siblings. I didn't know any other logical reason why an older teen would be hanging out with a girl my age… at least none that weren't creepy.

Then I remembered I'd just been attacked by a dog-man who'd exploded into yellow dust when stabbed leaving behind nothing but a trench coat. Maybe I didn't need any logical reasons.

"There was a Cynocephalus," the girl replied. (I'll be honest, I had to google the spelling just now to write it. At the time I thought she was just stringing random consonants together.)

"Dog-head?" Luke repeated, and the girl nodded.

Then they looked over at me. I realized I was still holding the girl's knife, and offered it back. I could hear my mom's voice in my head telling me to say 'thank you', and I meant to, but when I opened my mouth all that came out was, "What just happened?"

The two kids exchanged a look, and then Luke frowned, asking me, "How old are you?"

I didn't see why that mattered at all, but my mind was still not functioning properly, so I couldn't come up with a witty response. So I just answered him, "Eleven."

Luke shrugged and the girl (I really needed to learn her name) snapped, "Doesn't mean he shouldn't know."

"He's safer if he doesn't. Let him be a kid for one more year, Annabeth," Luke answered. I raised a brow at that, which probably looked kind of stupid. Maybe that's why Annabeth looked at me like I was some sort of child and not just a few inches shorter than her. But Luke seemed to get his way. Annabeth took her knife from me and moved to go pack up her things. Luke and I were left more-or-less alone.

So I repeated my question, "What just happened?"

Luke smiled, and maybe it was his scar, but he looked dangerous then. No, he looked deadly. Yet beneath it all there was a strange sympathy, even as he said, "Nothing happened. You were attacked by a rabid dog, but you and Annabeth drove it off."

I didn't understand why he was lying to me. I knew what I had seen. I knew it wasn't just some dog. It was a monster, pure and simple. "You're lying."

"Why would I need to?" Luke answered, a glimmer in his eye. "It was just a dog. What else could it be?"

"A monster."

He smirked again (I was getting sick of his smirk.) "Really? A monster. Isn't eleven a bit too old to believe in monsters? Well then, if it was a monster how did you fight it off?"

"It was distracted when I came out of the lake and I grabbed its snout and stabbed it."

My response threw Luke. He narrowed his gaze, really studying me for the first time. Then his eyes widened, and he seemed almost frightened when he asked, "If you came out of the lake, how come you're dry?"

I looked down. Sure enough, he was right. I knew I had fallen straight into the turtle pond. Annabeth was soaking wet, and her book was probably ruined. Yet I was dry. There was no evidence what-so-ever that I'd fallen into the lake.

For the first time, I wondered if maybe I was going crazy. Had I imagined the whole thing? I knew what I remembered and yet… Luke wasn't wrong. If I'd been in the pond, if I'd managed to soak the monster and Annabeth, how come I wasn't wet? None of this made sense, but somehow that one little fact was too weird even for me. I began to doubt.

Luke could see it in my eyes, because he ran with it, "Look, kid, here is what I think happened. You were being chased by a dog, and you accidentally knocked Annabeth into the pond. Now you're trying to say it's a monster because you're worried she'll be mad. I get it. Annabeth scares me as well. But we both know the truth. There was no monster, and you never went into the pond. You're not even wet."

I knew he was lying to me. Of course I knew it. Yet what I knew had happened… it wasn't possible. At least Luke's solution made sense. But how do you pick? Do you go with the rational explanation when you know it's a lie? Or do you trust your senses even when they're at war with everything you know?

I couldn't pick. I'm indecisive like that. But at that point Annabeth, who was actually wet, said to Luke, "Come on, we should get back. Mr. D will be bad enough we left, even if it's my birthday."

"Happy birthday," I stupidly said. It was just a knee-jerk reaction. I expected Annabeth to glare at me, she seemed the type.

Instead she blushed. (And I did as well). "Ah, thanks. And thanks for saving me from the… dog."

She knew it was a lie too, so why didn't she fight Luke? I just didn't get it. Fighting them, however, didn't seem worth it, not when my mind appeared to be turning to mush. "You're welcome, I guess."

She stared at me for a second, brows furrowed, and then shook her head. Without another word, she began walking away. Luke offered me a sympathetic look and followed after her. Once they reached the path, however, Luke stopped, calling back to me, "Hey kid. I never did ask your name."

"Perseus. I mean Percy." I didn't have a clue why I'd said my full name. I never said my full name. I guess the last few minutes just had me on edge, and since I was normally only this nervous on a test… well my Scantron sheets always had to say 'Perseus'.

Annabeth balked. Luke laughed. Then he mock-saluted me, "Well, Perseus. I'm sure we'll meet again. Good luck. Don't go picking fights with any more dogs. Oh, and the trench coat is yours. Keep it. Maybe it will bring you good luck."


	2. My Life Continues To Make No Sense

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't listened to the Lighting Thief Musical, I would highly recommend you do. It's just so good. Anyways, enjoy!

Chapter 2- My Life Continues to Make No Sense

I tried to believe Luke's version of events, but as the summer progressed I only grew confused. I could hardly sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the dog-man ripping out Annabeth's throat, and then Luke blaming me for killing her.

One night the beginning of August, the familiar nightmare woke me up. Sticky sweat clung to my skin, and I could hardly breathe. It felt like Rocky Balboa had taken up residence in my chest and was trying to punch his way out. The clock on the wall told me it was only a little after four, but I couldn't go back to sleep.

It was too hot in my room. I needed to get out of it, and for once was glad the fire escape was right outside my window. I crawled outside, taking in a deep breath of cool air. It took a minute, but I finally felt like I could breathe. My heart beat slowed. For a moment, I enjoyed the distant murmur of the city that never slept, and tried to block out the noise in my mind.

I'd gone to a lot of therapy in my life. School councilors liked to make me their 'project'. Every one was convinced they would be the one to 'save' me, that I would be the story they could tell all their friends to prove they'd gone into the right line of work. So far I'd disappointed every one, but their words came back to me then- _When faced with a choice, list out your options._

I crawled back inside and found a crumpled piece of paper- my expulsion letter from my 5th grade school. The letter itself was so short there was plenty of space to write beneath it, but I didn't want to look at my failure while trying to decide whether or not I was insane. So I flipped it over and began my list

On the left hand side, I wrote 'Proof I'm Insane' and beneath it began my tally. The list was long, filled with all the people over the year who thought I was out of my mind. After all, not many kids got kicked out of 5 schools in 5 year.

I frowned at the list, but decided to finish the task and list out the reasons 'Why I'm Not Crazy And It Is Real'

**1\. You know you saw it**

**2\. The trench coat**

Looking at the two lists side-by-side, my heart sank. Maybe I wasn't good at school, but I wasn't that dumb. I knew all the evidence was against me. Yet deep down, I refused to believe I was insane. I knew what I had seen, and I knew Luke and Annabeth had seen it as well. They hadn't been very good liars.

With a smirk, I decided to add that as reason number 3.

**3\. Annabeth and Luke were terrible liars**

It didn't mean anything, but it made me feel strangely better. As did the cool air. I looked up to the sky, wishing I could see the constellations there. I remembered one night on Montauk when I was little, my mom pointing to all the constellations- 'That's Hercules, son of Zeus, the greatest hero ever. He slayed the dragon Drago, which is just besides him. There is the swan Cygnus. His father was Apollo, who turned him into a swan when he died. And there is Pegasus, the winged horse, son of… of Poseidon. And then there is the Andromeda galaxy, named after the princess Perseus saved. They're together even now in the stars.'

My mother loved Greek Mythology. Me, I could never keep the names straight in my head. I certainly couldn't see how a bunch of stars looked like a princess, or a horse, or a dragon. But what I remembered most about that night was the light in my mother's eyes as she spoke. She had looked so happy. She never looked like that anymore. Gabe was in a foul mood whenever I was home for long amounts of time, and the air conditioning in the candy store had broken, making her long shifts worse than ever.

If only things were different. I wished I could rescue her like Perseus rescued Andromeda. Life certainly was as terrifying as a sea serpent. But my namesake was a hero, and I was just a juvenile delinquent who may or may not be going crazy.

The cool air no longer felt good. I crumpled up my list and tossed it over the railing. It seemed I was the monster; it didn't matter if I littered.

When I crawled back into bed, I actually did fall back asleep. But the dream which came was scarier than any dog-man.

I stood on the edge of a pit and knew I was looking at something evil. I felt sick, like I had the flu. My head seemed to pound. My limbs were weak and shaky. I crumpled to the ground before the edge, terrified and weak. Then I heard a laugh. It seemed to come from the pit itself, and yet I knew it was only within my mind. I even knew I was asleep, but I could not wake up.

"Yes," a dangerous voice hissed in my mind. "I can sense your strength. Kneel before me and soon, all will kneel. Together we will make them."

Cool water splashed over me, and I suddenly awoke. Standing there looking terrified was my mother, an empty glass in her hand. She must have dumped it on me to wake me up.

I was definitely wet this time, but I'd never been so happy to see my mom in my life. (And that was saying something, because my mom was wonderful.) Still, the pained and frightened look on her face hurt me. I had done this. Once more I'd caused my mother, the most wonderful person in the world, to worry. I felt almost as terrible as I had kneeling before the pit.

She bent down next to me, running a hand through my hair. Her gentle touch soothed my worries immediately. When my mom played with my hair, I knew nothing in the world could hurt me. I was safe. I was loved. Everything would be alright.

"I need to go to work, but I heard you shouting in your sleep," she admitted, voice soft and light. "You've looked so tired recently. Are you having bad dreams?"

I didn't want her to worry, but even with her soothing presence, I was terrified enough to be a little selfish. Therefore I whispered, "Mom, do you think I'm crazy?"

She laughed softly at me, "Why would I think that?"

I hesitated. Should I tell her? But she knew me well enough that she'd probably worry more if I didn't tell her. "A few weeks ago I saw something impossible, but I know it was real."

She bit her lip. Sure enough I'd worried her. Actually she looked on the brink of tears. Immediately I felt horrible. Maybe I wasn't crazy, but I was definitely a horrible son. All I did was cause my mom pain.

She reached out, grabbing my hands in hers. Her voice shook a little bit, but there was a sudden strength behind her words, "Percy, there are times when we all see things no one else can. It doesn't mean we're crazy. It simply means we're special. In the old days they might even have called us wise."

I snorted a laugh at that. No one would ever dare call me wise.

She smiled, but sadly. "Percy, it's hard for me to believe how much you've grown. When I look at you I just don't know where my little boy went, but there you are, practically a man and… oh Percy, there are so many things in this life that just can't be explained. Sometimes they seem crazy but sometimes… sometimes they're just hard to say. But I promise Percy that for your birthday we'll go to the cabin, and then… then I'll tell you about your new school. Maybe by the sea I'll have the strength."

I didn't understand what she meant, but I was too excited by the prospect of going to the cabin. For years she'd been saying that money was simply too tight, but I didn't care if it was the only birthday present I would get, it would be worth it. There was no place in the world I loved more.

"Until then, just try to put these things out of your mind. It's not good for you to think about them, but I promise Percy, you're not crazy."

I didn't know how she could make that promise, but I believed her anyways. If anyone could control whether or not I was going insane, it would be my mom. Besides, with the prospect of a trip to the cabin for my birthday, everything seemed better.

* * *

 

The day before my birthday, Gabe behaved, and smelled, extra noxious, but we finally made it out the door. Three hours later, we sat by a little fire, roasting blue marshmallows. In the distance I could hear the waves crashing against the shore. Peace. I hadn't felt it in a long time, but I remembered the feeling then.

"Do you still remember the constellations?" My mom asked, looking up to the bright sky, a bright smile upon her face.

Unfortunately, her words made me remember the night she'd told me about this trip. I remembered my fear, and her promise of answers. I was hesitant to break the peace, but I needed to know, "Mom, why won't you even tell me my dad's name?"

She didn't get upset, which I supposed was a good thing. But a familiar look crossed her face, the one she got whenever I mentioned my dad, a strange mix of love, longing, sadness, and fear. I'd never quite understood the last emotion, and that night it seemed the strongest of the bunch. "Names have power Percy, but they don't always work the way we want them to. I can't bring him back, and if you knew you would only be in more danger."

She always talked about danger when she spoke of my dad. I didn't get it. How could knowing the name of my dad get me hurt, "Was he in the mafia or something?"

My mom laughed, clearly the idea of my dad in the mafia was funny to her. I wasn't as amused. "No Percy, nothing like that. Your father is a good man, but he comes from a powerful family. His brothers and sisters won't be happy when they discover we had a child together, and there are some who would use you to hurt your father. But someday, maybe someday soon, he'll answer all your questions himself. I know it."

I had to admit, her words made me bitter. My whole life my dad had been gone. Why would she think he would suddenly show up and explain himself? Why would she think I wanted him to? "You're the only family I need."

I meant it as a compliment, as a testament to my love, but my mom turned to me looking upset, "Don't say that Percy. Your father loves you, and someday his family will realize they need you as much as you need them. Never give up on your family Percy, especially when they want you to."

I stared into the fire before us. There were times when I wondered how my mom didn't resent me for all the trouble I caused her. If I'd never been born, she'd be a world-class author, I knew it. Instead she was married to a jerk, worked far too much, and had to deal with all the trouble I caused. Who got kicked out of five schools in a row?

"Where is my new school?"

"Let's take a walk," my mom suggested, not answering my question. I stuffed another blue marshmallow in my mouth, then kicked sand on the fire until it went out.

My mom didn't answer my question immediately. Instead we walked along the coast, letting the waves wash over our feet. The water was warm, inviting. My every instinct was to dive right in, swim to the bottom of the ocean and never leave. It was an odd instinct. For the moment, though I just enjoyed the water.

"Ouch!" my mother squeaked, rubbing her foot. She bent down and picked up the oyster she'd stepped on. When she opened it, a big blue pearl rested inside. It was beautiful, and I didn't need to know anything about jewelry to know she could make a lot of money selling it. That was why I was horrified when she frowned and threw it back in the sea.

"Mom!" I shouted. Suddenly I remembered all the oysters she'd thrown back into the ocean over the years. Had any of those had pearls as well? If so, why would my mom possibly throw them away? She deserved to be adorned in pearls, and if for some reason she didn't like how they looked, well then why didn't she just sell them?

She smiled at me, but shook her head, "Percy, there is one thing I want you to know before you ever meet your father- we all have to make our own way in this world. Your life is your own, and you must not let anyone, not even me or your father, tell you who you should be. The sea may want me to be a queen, but I would much rather be your mother."

I didn't understand her at all. I ended up standing there for a long time, just staring at the waves. How could she give up something so valuable? Who would pick me over being a queen?

"Your school is called Achilles Academy. I don't much like the name, but perhaps that is it's Achilles' heel." It was such a bad joke that I could not help by laugh along with my mother, and finally leave the pearl behind me.

My mother continued speaking, though she hardly seemed to remember I was there, "Your father made me promise I would send you there once you were old enough. I don't see how twelve is possibly old enough, but considering your nightmares… It is the best place for you. I will be able to see you during breaks and it carries a good enough name with colleges."

Woah, wait, colleges? I was a solid D student. How could my mom possibly think I would ever get into college? Besides, this was my sixth school in six years. There was no way I'd manage the next seven years in the same place. I would consider it a miracle if I made it two!

My mom must have read my mind. "You won't get expelled Percy, I promise. This school… it's different. It's for people who are different, people like you."

Her words stung. Of course I knew I was a freak, but it wasn't nice hearing my own mom say it. She must have seen the look on my face, because she reached out and ruffled my hair, "Percy, the things that make you different are the things that make you strong. Once you go, you'll realize that. All of the kids there have ADHD and dyslexia, and the school uses the way your brains work to turn you into something incredible. But you Percy, you are already incredible. There you will be great."

I wasn't entirely convinced. I'd been to other schools before with ADHD and dyslexic kids, but my terrible luck had followed me, and I'd been expelled. ADHD and dyslexia doesn't make you insane. There was something else wrong with me.

But standing there, my feet in the ocean, it was so easy to believe my mom. Maybe this school would be just the right place for me. Maybe if I tried really hard to be good, I could keep from getting expelled, and I would find someway to pass my classes. Besides, this was my father's school. I knew legacy kids at my other schools. It didn't seem to matter what they did. You never got in trouble if your great-great grandfather went there. From the way my mom was talking, I was a legacy at this school… though how I was supposed to drop my father's name when I didn't even know it was beyond me.

"But Percy, I need you to promise me something."

"Anything." And I meant it. For my mom I would go to Hell. I would hold up the sky. I would do anything.

She smiled, and pulled me into a tight hug. It was only once she let go that I saw the glistening tears in her eyes. She was crying, but I could not possibly tell if it was because she was happy for me, or if she was upset. "Promise me that whatever happens you won't forget your poor mother. I may not be a part of that world, but you are my world, and I cannot possibly lose you."

"Of course Mom. I promise."

I have never regretted that promise, even though I did not understand what she meant at the time. I figured she was worried I would become a ritzy prep who was embarrassed by my working-class mom. I didn't realize she was actually asking for forgiveness. Forgiveness for the things she had not told me. Forgiveness for bringing me into a world that hated me. Forgiveness for loving me enough to let me go.

But even if I had known what she meant, I wouldn't have changed my answer. My mom deserved the world. Instead she got me, and she was happy for it. I will always love her first.

* * *

 

That night, after my mom had fallen asleep, I found myself sneaking out of the cabin and into the cool air. It wasn't a nightmare that woke me this time. Somehow the crashing waves calmed my thoughts and kept the nightmares away for the first time in a month. No, I'd woken up on purpose, and set out into the night on a mission.

I looked up at the sky, and spotted the Andromeda galaxy. I remembered my thought from a few weeks before, I whispered, "I'll save you mom, just as Perseus did."

What can I say? I hadn't gotten the moral of my mom's story, but then again, I was only twelve and two-hours old.

Diving into the ocean seemed as natural as breathing. In fact, it took me a few minutes to realize that I was breathing, breathing perfectly normally, despite the fact that I was underwater. I wasn't wet either. Somehow, I wasn't surprised. All the strange things which had happened lately, they seemed unimportant now that I was underwater. No, that wasn't true. They seemed infinitely more important, but a good sort of important. I didn't understand, but I didn't need to understand. It just felt _right_.

I don't know if I sat there in the water five minutes or five hours, but I finally remembered my mission. It wasn't difficult to find the pearl once I remembered what I was looking for. My vison seemed sharper than usual, and I was drawn to where the oyster lay. When I found it, I discovered it wasn't alone. There seemed to be a dozen of pearls lying nearby: pink, white, black, blue. Somehow I knew that my mom had found all of these, and thrown them back. Every visit to the cabin over the years she'd been doing the same thing, and I just couldn't understand why.

I scooped them up until my pockets were heavy with the sea gems. I was about to swim back to the surface when I noticed I wasn't alone.

I thought for a second it was my mom, but my mom, for someone who loved the beach, hardly ever went swimming. Besides, my mom wouldn't be able to breathe ten feet below the surface, and she wouldn't have radiated such light. But the smile upon the woman's face was just like my mom's. If this woman wasn't a mother, I was a fool.

"Um, hello," I greeted her dumbly. Then I remembered how difficult it was to hear underwater, and felt stupid. But of course she could hear me. After all, it was also difficult to breathe underwater, and we were both managing that just fine.

"Hello, Perseus," she answered, a smiling creeping across her lips. "Enjoying your swim?"

She was making fun of me. I just knew it. Then again, it was odd to go swimming in the middle of the night, but hey, that's me-odd. Besides, I wasn't really swimming.

She knew that as well. A soft sadness crossed her gaze, and she told me firmly, "She will not accept your gift, Perseus. Did she not already throw them back?"

"I was planning on selling them and sneaking her the money. Put it under the couch or something," I admitted. It sounded like a stupid plan when I said it aloud.

"Does she normally find thousands of dollars hidden in the couch?" the water-woman asked me, light amusement in her voice. She thought I was funny, but frankly I was too shocked to care. Thousands of dollars? I'd known pearls were expensive, but could I really get thousands of dollars for each one?

"Tell me, Perseus. Do you resent your mother for returning these gifts? Had she accepted them you could have lived the life of a prince. Instead you suffer."

This is going to sound really stupid, but it hadn't even crossed my mind that these pearls would have changed my life as much as they changed my mom's. All I'd been thinking about was her quitting her job, getting her degree, writing her novel, _leaving Gabe_. I hadn't considered that I might be able to go on vacation for more than two days a year, or splurge on more than Burger King and a movie from Blockbuster.

I tried to imagine a life where my mom and I were rich. We'd get a nice apartment by Battery Park, or maybe move to Montauk full time. I'd be rich enough that no school would dare kick me out, no matter what happened. People listened to you when you had money. They believed you. They said money couldn't buy happiness, but that was only to make poor people feel better, right?

The woman smiled, "You are a good son, Perseus. Better than my own. But your mother has already told you why she does not want these gifts. Respect her wishes, but keep the pearls. She misunderstood one thing; they were never just for her. These pearls are your heritage. Sell them only if you are in dire need, for they are worth more to you as they are. What belongs to the sea shall always return, Perseus. You have proven that."

She began to fade, as if melting into the ocean itself. I was confused and a little bit frightened when I called out to her, "Wait! Can't you tell me how all of this is possible?"

"For you, Perseus, all things are possible. You will find your explanations soon enough, I promise you that. For your mother's sake, enjoy these last days of childhood… Oh, and Percy? Your father and I both wish you a happy birthday. May it not be your last."

She waved her hand, and disappeared. I rose to the surface, my mind foggy and slow. Once more I was dry, and as I crawled into bed, I felt half asleep.

When my mom woke me in the morning, I was certain it had just been another odd dream. I'd certainly had many as of late, and for some reason conversations with the sea itself was a little too weird, even for me.

But when I looked in my pocket, I found twelve glittering pearls inside.


	3. Welcome To The Dysfunctional Family

Chapter 3-Welcome to the Dysfunctional Family

The Monday of Labor Day weekend, we packed up Gabe's car and drove back out to Long Island. Gabe complained about us borrowing his car _again_ , but I hardly heard him. I was too nervous.

I'd been going to boarding school for a while now. All the private schools in the city knew me, or at least, they knew my reputation. Yet there was something different about this year, and my mom and I both knew it. Achilles Academy wasn't just any school, it was my dad's school, the one he'd picked out for me before I was even born. There I might actually be able to survive more than one year. If you believed my mom, I might actually thrive there. (Of course, she said that about every school, so I loved my mom, but I didn't believe her.)

Still, I knew this school would be different. I was entirely expecting that I would be expelled, if not in one year at least within two. But maybe, just maybe, this school could explain all the weird things which kept happening to me. Try as I might, I couldn't forget the dog-man, or the water-lady (as I'd so cleverly taken to calling them). The pearls and trench coat in my backpack made them impossible to forget. Every time I wondered if I was going crazy, I'd just pull out a pearl and rub it in my palm. It was real. I couldn't explain it, but maybe Achilles Academy could.

The closer we got to the school, the more nervous my mom got. I knew she hated that I couldn't live at home, but normally she put on a brave face and told me what fun my new school would be. Not this time. Instead, I watched as the muscles in her face grew taut, as the light in her eyes died out. It made me feel terrible. This was all my fault, after all. If I hadn't gotten kicked out…

But no. My dad wanted me to go to Achilles Academy, and I would have whether-or-not I got expelled from everywhere else. If anyone was to blame, it was my father.

Believe it or not, that wasn't a new sensation.

I hadn't been able to find the school on MapQuest, and the directions petered out when we were in the middle of nowhere. My mom, however, seemed to know what was going on. There was a line of cars forming in the middle of the strawberry fields, and kids my age and older were all getting out. I watched one or two hug their parents… no, only their parent. None of them seemed to have both a mom or dad. That was odd.

"Percy, this is as far as I can go. You'll have to walk over the hill," my mom whispered, eyes locked in front of her. My heart dropped. She couldn't even walk me to the door? What kind of school was this?

Finally she turned to me. The worry in her eyes was unmistakable, and I noticed a little tear glittering across her cheek. It broke my heart like nothing else. I considered refusing to get out of the car. I didn't need answers; I needed my mom to be happy. But then a little smile broke across her cheeks, and she reached out, running a hand through my hair, "Look at me getting all emotional. I'm happy for you Percy, I really am. I just… I just can't believe it's already time."

I reached across the car, hugging her tightly. My mom had the sweetest smell in the world, and not because she worked in a candy store. That was just the way she smelled. And I loved it. I loved her, and I wasn't afraid to say it when so many were, "I love you Mom."

"I love you too, Percy," she answered, and I knew she meant it. I'd never doubted that. "Now you had better go. I'll help you get the bags from the trunk."

We both climbed out of the car, and silence fell over us. I didn't know what to say. How did you say goodbye when you didn't know where you were going? Why did this feel so different from every time before?

It only took a moment for me to pull out my luggage; I really didn't own all that much. A few cars behind me, I spotted a girl with six bright pink suitcases and promptly gagged. I really hoped I didn't have to interact with her.

"Percy, do you remember your promise?"

Suddenly I could taste the salty air, hear the crashing waves. For a moment, I was back on Montauk, the camp fire crackling before me. "Mom, I could never forget you. I promise."

She pulled me into a tight hug, and didn't let go right away. I wish she'd never let go. But finally she did, pulling away and looking me straight in the eye. She didn't look sad anymore. Perhaps she looked a bit frightened, but mostly she just look certain, "And Percy, forgive your father and me if we keep secrets from you even now. It really is for your own safety."

I didn't understand what she meant, but the way she spoke… she seemed so certain I would meet my father now that I was at this school. It almost made me wonder, "Mom, is he… is my dad here?"

She smiled softly, but shook her head. Reaching out to lay a hand on my heart, she said, "No, Percy, but he is here. He is within you. You are truly his son, as you are mine. Now go. Before I lose my nerve."

I took a deep breath, grabbed my bags, and began walking away. The hill was much larger and steeper than I'd imagined, probably a half mile. The further I got, the fewer cars there were, until finally there was just me and a handful of other teenagers walking up a hill, bags in tow. A few of the kids greeted each other. Others looked around, almost as if they were expecting something.

Then I heard a scream to my left. I turned to see the girl with the pink suitcases screeching her head off, yellow dust covering her, and a single arrow on the ground. I panicked, thinking for a second that we were under attack, but I didn't see anything. I couldn't even find who had shot the arrow.

A strange chill passed over me, and I walked faster. Somehow I knew I would be safe once I reached the top of the hill, but all of us out here in the open… it was a recipe for disaster.

Finally I reached the top, and something very strange happened. For a moment, I thought I'd been punked. It looked like there was absolutely nothing there. But then, out of nowhere, a towering Greek-style temple stood before me, and I was surrounded by all side by strange looking guys with goatees and hats. One, on the younger side, came right up to me and then I swear, he sniffed. He made a face then, but then cocked his head, as if smelling something else.

"You okay, dude?" I asked awkwardly.

The guy looked nervous, but he nodded, waving his hand. I paused for a moment, confused, but there was so much going on around me that I couldn't stay focused on him for very long.

The temple itself was dazzling. Glistening white columns rose high into the sky, and I almost had to crane my neck to see the top. But the bit that was really cool was that it wasn't all white, not like you'd expect. Instead the base of it was painted bright orange, and up top, the figures displayed dazzling color. I saw a guy with a beard and a pin-stripe suit, and another, my personal favorite, a calm-looking man in a bright blue Hawaiian shirt.

To the left and the right of the temple, there were a dozen smaller buildings. To the far end, there was a big building that reminded me of a bank, and yet I could have sworn there was thunder coming from inside. Another one reminded me of a Barbie dream house, and next to it, I swore there was a full-blown factory.

People milled about, greeting their friends. Most of them looked pretty normal, though a number were sporting orange 'Achilles Academy' shirts. But I noticed more than one who person who just looked strange. For example, talking to an African-American girl with a flower in her hair, was a girl I swore had green skin. I didn't get a good look because suddenly someone bounded past on a horse… a horse I swore had wings. It was all too much for even my ADHD mind to process. I just stood there gaping.

Then a heard a gasp, and a voice I'd never expected to hear again, "You!"

I turned, and sure enough, there was Annabeth. She looked just like she had over the summer, though her cheeks were a bit more burnt. I could never forget those eyes though. They had the same intensity to them they had when charging the dog-man, the same fearsome power. This was definitely the same girl I'd met in Central Park. She was real, and she was here.

My stomach dropped. My heart skipped. Yes! I knew I wasn't crazy. I knew it was all real. Finally, finally I would get my answers. It seemed only fitting to get them from the girl who'd started it all.

Though, when she stomped over to me, I was more than a bit frightened, and suddenly remembered she carried a knife around just for the fun of it. "You said you were eleven!"

Beneath her intense gaze, I stumbled. But I finally managed to mutter something like, "Well I was but now I'm twelve because people get older you see."

Annabeth glared at me. Then she grabbed me by the shoulder and started pushing me into the main temple. "Come on. You need the orientation film more than anyone. Oh I can't wait to rub this in Luke's face!"

So Luke went here as well. I wasn't surprised. I didn't even fight her as she pushed me into the temple. And that was hard, because the place was really cool, and I wanted to get a better view.

You couldn't tell from the outside, but it was two stories tall, with little classrooms on either side of a long hallway. Not one of the classrooms, however, looked vaguely normal. I caught a glimpse of one and realized it was a full-sized swimming pool somehow fit into what appeared to be an otherwise normal room. The one next to it was the biggest library I had ever seen, three stories high, despite it only being a two-story building.

My brain turned to mush, and I followed Annabeth. She led me to a big auditorium, except it was closer to a Greek amphitheater, go figure. It was packed, probably a hundred kids my age through high school, everyone talking and laughing and in some cases shouting. I thought I saw two kids sword fighting in the corner, but decided it was best for my sanity if I just didn't look.

I spotted a blond guy sitting in the middle of the back row, and I guessed it was Luke. Sure enough, Annabeth made a bee-line for him, climbing over half a dozen kids to get to the center of the aisle. They all just grumbled at her, and I muttered quick apologies. Finally we got to the two empty seats next to Luke.

"Turns out eleven meant almost twelve," Annabeth proudly announced as Luke looked up and saw me. His eyes glistened with surprise, but he smirked. Clearly he remembered me as well as I remembered him.

"How's the forgetting working for you, Perseus?"

"It's Percy," I reminded him, rolling my eyes. Something about this guy… He was just so weird. Not a bad weird, but definitely weird. "But I don't even understand what I'm supposed to be forgetting!"

Annabeth looked ready to explain, but suddenly a man in a wheelchair rolled out onto stage, and silence fell. He was on the older side, with a warm, bearded face. I had the strange sense that I had seen him before, but I couldn't remember when. He carried an undeniable authority though, and so I listened intently to what he had to say, "Hello everyone. Welcome back to school. I'm sure many of you have been dreading it, but in my many years I have never ceased learning, and neither should you."

Most of the kids groaned, but his words actually made me smile. It was just such a teacher thing to say.

"For those of you who don't know me, I am Chiron, the Headmaster here at Achilles Academy. Now, as many of the seniors have reminded me, it does us no good to watch the same orientation film each year. Therefore Apollo House has graciously volunteered to turn our usual orientation film into an exciting skit. I hope you will all give them your complete attention. Well then, without further ado, Apollo House, the stage is yours."

The lights suddenly dimmed, and darkness surrounded us. A cool voice called out, "In the beginning, there was chaos, pure darkness and stink- like Hermes House on any given day."

Laughter echoed through the crowd, and nearby Luke let out a noise that sounded both amused, and offended. I guessed maybe he belonged to this 'Hermes House'.

"Then the sheer boringness of all that darkness gave birth to Gaea, the earth, who gave birth to the sky Uranus… I mean Ouranos…" the voice continued. Suddenly two people came onto the stage, one painted green, one painted blue. They stumbled together, and kissed, and then suddenly a bunch of baby dolls were thrown onto the floor between then.

"Ouranos had a bunch of kids with Gaea, which is only slightly more creepy than the rest of the story. But one of those kids was the Titan Kronos."

A guy ran on stage, grabbed one of the dolls, and raised it high in the air. I guess that was Kronos.

"Kronos hated his father because his father ignored him, so he stole his father's scythe, cut off his father's…" a big 'bleep' played "and threw it into the sea. From those would come the goddess of love, Aphrodite, so if you ever think your birth is weird, remember that."

"Kronos then married his sister, Rhea, which is slightly less creepy than marrying your mother, not that anyone told Oedipus that. But anyways, Kronos and Rhea had a kid, Hestia." A new baby doll was thrown onto the stage by 'Kronos' even though the original 'titans' hadn't been cleaned up.

"When Kronos realized his daughter was a goddess, not a titan, he did what any rational dad does, and promptly ate her."

The kid playing Kronos started biting the baby doll, and I cringed in my seat.

"Rhea and Kronos had four more kids, all gods, and Kronos ate them all. At this point he was starting to look pretty fat, and Rhea as annoyed about not having any kids, so she sought answers from her mother… I mean mother-in-law… no actually folks I had it right the first time, Gaea was her mother. Well Gaea told Rhea to give birth to her next child far away from her husband, and feed her husband a rock. I guess the eldest gods weren't much different from rocks anyways, because when she tried it, Kronos didn't even notice."

The guy playing Kronos actually swallowed a rock, and I was seriously worried about this kid.

"Well Rhea's last son, Zeus, grew up not inside his father, and eventually he convinced his father to vomit up his siblings. Then there was a huge war, and in the end, the gods won. Kronos was cut into tiny little pieces, like M&M's but evil, and cast into Tartarus. Then the gods ruled over the world, and everything was good."

Finally they paused to move all the baby dolls off the stage. Once it was clear, the narrator continued while various people, boys and girls, walked across the stage in Greek armor, "But even though the gods got married and had lots of kids who were also gods, they were never satisfied with their actual spouses, so they looked down to earth and said 'oh, she's hot, let's make babies'. There were many heroes, Achilles, Jason, Perseus, Theseus, and Heracles, so cool they gave him a Disney Movie. And every one of these heroes was trained by the one and only, our friend the centaur, Chiron!"

Suddenly a girl dressed up as the headmaster came riding across on one of those pony-sticks you see in Toys'R'Us. Everyone laughed at that, but I just looked over at Headmaster Chiron. This was some joke, right? If you asked me, it wasn't very funny to make fun of the guy in a wheel chair.

"But then all the heroes died, except for Heracles, who became a god. But the gods weren't done having kids. They moved to Rome because the school system was better and had kids there. Then they passed on to Constantinople and tried to be Greek again, though it was all a bit odd. Then they went to Britain. Until, finally, they came to the United States and did what they do best- have kids. And that, my friends, is where you come in."

I furrowed my brows. Somehow this felt very important, but between all the jokes, I was struggling to understand the point.

A new kid came on stage, and I realized that he was dressed up as Luke, scar and all. Next to me the real Luke stiffened, and then the kid on stage began to sing, "My dad is Hermes he messengers things. You'll know his sign by his shoes with those wings. I wait by the phone, but the phone never rings. Oh no! When your dads a god, life can be tough. I met the guy once, and once was enough!"

Next to me Annabeth reached over and gripped Luke's arm. But before I could say anything, a girl in a blond wig came on stage, and began singing, "My mom's Athena, she's smart and she's wise. She's sworn of gluten and she's sworn off guys. But if she came to school, it would be a surprise. Oh no! Oh my stepmom she hates me and my dad works all day. So I left Virginia, and I ran away!"

Annabeth looked ready to kill someone. She stood up in her chair, and Luke pulled her back down. Mr. Chiron must have seen her, because he decided enough was enough. He rolled back on stage just as another girl prepared to sing. "Yes, yes, thank you Apollo House. I think we do get the point. I'm sure you've made your father very proud with your… creativity. But now it is time for seriousness. You must not forget that you come here to learn and train as people as well as heroes, but the world is dangerous. I am saddened to announce the death of Verity Truth, daughter of Aletheia. Verity would have been a sophomore this year, but when attacked by a griffin she was unable to reach help in time. Let us all take a moment of silence for the loss of our friend."

Crap, that was intense. A kid from this school had died over the summer? I couldn't imagine it. But no one else seemed surprised. I noticed a few sad faces among the older kids, and Luke looked disappointed, but the 'moment of silence' really only lasted a moment.

"But the time for sadness is not now. Instead we must look to the future. This year we are blessed with six new half-bloods, and of course, our very own Annabeth shall be with this class. I shall now make an offering to the gods in thanks for the safe arrival of all our students, and ask that, perhaps, any gods who wish to claim their children do now."

I didn't have a clue what he was talking about, but Mr. Chiron dumped a large steak into the fire near the stage. Then a guy stumbled over. He was normal looking enough, except I was pretty sure he was drunk. No one else seemed surprised to see him though, though there was a little bit of surprise when he pointed to two twin boys sitting in the second row and said, "Mine."

"Yes, Mr. D, we are aware. Castor and Pollux have been here for two years now," Chiron said, sounding very, very, tired. "For those of you who are unfamiliar with our school director, this is Mr. D, better known as Dionysus, god of wine. Not that he should be drinking any while he is here."

Mr. D flushed, "Of course not."

Flustered, I turned to Annabeth and asked, "Annabeth, why does he keep saying 'god'? What does he mean?"

"Shh," Annabeth told me, though Luke cast me a sympathetic look. If he intended to answer my question, however, he didn't get a chance. Suddenly there was a commotion a little bit away from me. An Asian girl about my age stood up, and she was glowing pink. Now I don't mean just the fact that she was wearing all pink, and the girl I'd seen carrying the suitcases before. No, she was actually glowing pink, and suddenly wearing what looked to me like a prom dress.

Suddenly on the other side of the theater, a mischievous looking kid who reminded me of Luke stood up, a winged shoe flying around his head, and that medical snake thingy you see at hospitals floating over his head.

An anvil appeared over the head of another girl, and a bow over a guy near her, which made our 'Apollo House' actors cheer. Another girl got two torches floating over her head, which just seemed dangerous.

I didn't quite get what was going on, but I had a sense that whatever was happening, it should be happening to me as well. I looked up, but there was nothing glowing over my head. Annabeth and Luke were looking as well, and seemed a bit disappointed to find nothing.

"It's alright. A lot of half-bloods never get claimed. This just means you'll be staying with me in Hermes House. We'll have fun."

I shook my head and ran my hands along my face. "I don't understand what's going on! What is 'claiming'? What are these houses? Why is everyone glowing!"

Annabeth gave Luke an 'I-told-you-so' look, then she rested a hand on my shoulder, and for a moment, she almost didn't seem so scary, "Percy, surely you've realized by now what the play was trying to say. The gods, the Greek gods, they're real, and just like in all the stories, they have kids with mortals. And those kids, we're called half-bloods, or demigods, and you're one of us. That's why you got attacked by the cynocephalus. We didn't tell you because once you know, well monsters find you easier, but it's all true. You have to admit, it makes sense."

No! No it didn't make sense! How could it possibly make sense? My dad wasn't a god. He was just some deadbeat sailor who'd gotten lost at sea. This… this was all some kind of sick joke. Or maybe I really was crazy and had just completely lost it. I was probably in some white padded room somewhere and…

No, Annabeth was right. It did make sense. I'd seen monsters, not just in central park, but throughout my life. I'd really stabbed that dog-man with Annabeth's knife. I'd really breathed under water and come out of the ocean perfectly dry.

I reached in my pocket and pulled out one of the pearls inside. It was the blue one, the one my mom had found the day before my birthday. I held it tight in my hand, praying it would give me strength, and maybe some explanations as well.

And who was I praying to? I guess my dad. If he was a god, I supposed that was the only thing I could do.


	4. The Gods Are Real, And They Have Kids (And Those Kids Have Issues)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for forgetting to update two days in a row. I've just been busy. Also, a note on character ages. For most characters the age isn't specified in the books, so I've sort of just made stuff up.

Chapter 4- The Gods Are Real, And They Have Kids  
(And Those Kids Have Issues)

Mr. Chiron (or was it just Chiron, I couldn't tell), asked all the 6th graders to stay when he dismissed everyone else for dinner. Luke therefore shuffled out, but at least Annabeth stayed with me.

We were all scattered about the amphitheater, which looked pretty stupid once there were only eight of us in the place. Chiron must have thought so as well, because he beckoned us forward. As Annabeth and I moved to join the others in the front row, I heard her mutter, "This is all wrong. There should be twice as many kids as this."

I didn't get a chance to ask what she meant. Chiron's gaze fell upon me, and I suddenly felt very small. There was an intensity to his gaze which seemed to span a thousand years, as if he could see my entire life spread out before him. And from the sadness in his gaze, he didn't like what he saw.

I gulped.

Chiron smiled, stretching his arms out in front of us. "Welcome. I would like to apologize for Apollo House's creativity. I have long believed that it is beneficial for us to see our history replayed at the beginning of the year, but as for your first introduction to school, perhaps not the wisest of decisions. Still, the point has been made. You are the children of the gods, the heirs to the heroes of old. I hope you shall all find the opportunity to develop your gifts within the safety of this school, but you must never forget that monsters are not antithesis to the real world. They are a part of it. We do not come here to hide, but to learn, so that we may be prepared one day to leave and live full lives."

Besides me, Annabeth muttered, "Says the man who banned quests."

Chiron heard her, I have no doubt, but said nothing in response. Instead he continued on, in true teacher fashion, "I believe there may be a few others who shall join your year soon. Hermes has taken a brief vacation and as such many of his deliveries delayed. Each of your parents wrote to me directly, already aware of our school, for which I am glad, or we may have had no new students at all. Nevertheless, I hear Hermes shall be back to work soon, hopefully delivering letters to your classmates, and I expect you all to be welcoming when they arrive. They are far less likely to have the understanding of the gods you all do. Many times the gods do not tell their mortal lover their true identity. But that is not a concern for you. I trust you will all make your parents, both mortal and Olympian, proud. Now, before I send you to dinner, have you any questions?"

My mind buzzed with a million questions, but only one seemed important-If my dad was a god, then which one? I felt stupid asking it though. Actually, I just felt stupid. Here Chiron was complementing us for having known about the gods before today, but I hadn't. I'd been having weird experiences my whole life, but I'd never pieced them together. It was so obvious now that I knew. How hadn't I guessed?

(Looking back, I know I was stupid for having felt stupid. I don't care how many weird experiences you have, you never guess your dad is a god. I have mortal friends whose lives are weirder than mine by far, but no one would ever think their parents were secretly superheroes or something. Only a crazy person looks at the strange events in their life and says 'I'm a demigod; I know it'. I'm crazy, but not that kind of crazy.)

On that day though, I felt stupid, so I didn't ask Chiron if he knew who my dad was. Good thing too because he wouldn't have had an answer and then I'd really look like a fool. So I just I kept my head down and waited for someone else to say something.

The girl who'd been glowing pink before had no hesitation about speaking out. Instead she called, "Are you really a horse?"

I could see Chiron cringe at the suggestion, but he nodded. "I am a centaur, my dear. I simply use this chair so as not to shock you all on your first day. But as you asked…"

Suddenly he stood up, and his chair turned into big white underpants, and then, from there, it became the body of a horse. My eyes bulged out of my head. Yeah, the Apollo kids had been making fun of him with the stick horse, but man were they right to. The guy was giant in his true form… and a horse!

"Any other questions?"

I didn't know how anyone could come up with questions when our new headmaster was a horse, I mean a centaur, and no one did. Seemingly satisfied, Chiron nodded his head and said, "Very well then, I shall let you all meet your siblings and prepare for dinner. Your head-of-house should be waiting outside to guide you. Lou Ellen, since your mother does not have her own house you will be with the children of Hermes. And Connor, do remind Luke that Percy shall need to remain there until his own father can be determined. Such is the spirit of Hermes House- a home for all."

"A house for all is a house for none," Connor remarked. He was an impish looking kid, and if I was going to be living with him, I wondered if they had lock-boxes for our stuff. I didn't even know Hermes was the god of thieves yet and I knew I didn't trust the kid with my things.

He looked friendly enough though, and patted the girl next to him on the back. "Come on, Lou-Lou. Let's go."

"Call me that again and I'll remove your lips," I heard the girl hiss, but she got up and went with him. The others filed out as well, but when I went to go, Annabeth grabbed my arm.

"Chiron, Percy is the kid I met in Central Park."

Chiron seemed surprised by that, and I doubted he was a man who was often surprised. Still, he did not say anything to it. Instead he remarked, "Well, then, I suppose you should thank him for saving your life."

Annabeth did not seem satisfied with that answer. Her hands went to her hips, and I wondered how Chiron could possibly not be frightened by the intensity of her eyes. "He didn't get wet Chiron. He soaked me. He soaked the whole shore, but there wasn't a drop of water on him. That's not normal."

I blushed a little. Here I was in a school for demigods, and people were still calling me a freak. I almost defended myself, but between Chiron and Annabeth, I was too intimidated.

"Percy, when I wrote your mother she did not tell me who your father was, only what he was. Did she by chance name him to you?"

His voice was very friendly. Warm, patient, a strange sort of paternal I had never known before. It made me want to please him, like that one teacher that believes in you no matter how many schools you've been kicked out of. But here's the thing- I always disappointed those teachers in the end. I knew I would disappoint Chiron as well.

"She said… she said I was safest if I didn't know who he was. She said that his family wouldn't be happy. But if all the gods are family and they all have kids, why would they be mad?"

Annabeth looked at Chiron and I swore her expression said 'You don't think that…'

'I do, but I do not know how. For now we shall not speak of it,' answered Chiron's eyes.

Now I know that sounds like a big-fat lie. You can't read that much into an expression, but maybe that was the downside of their ultra-expressive gazes. They were good for getting people to obey, but bad for secrecy. Whatever the case, I knew that was what they were saying, but I didn't understand why.

My frustration boiled over, burning out any reservations, "You know! I can see it in your eyes that you know! Why won't people just ever tell me the truth?"

(Can I tell you a secret? I later found out that at that exact moment there was minor seismic activity in Oklahoma. Oops.)

Chiron reached out, placing a hand on my shoulder. I looked up for him, and in his eyes all I saw was sadness. It was like he was looking at a coffin. It made my stomach churn, and I felt like I was going to vomit all over him.

"Percy, I have my suspicions, yes, but they make little sense, even to me. Therefore until I am certain, I shall respect the wishes of both your parents and keep silent about the matter. When your father is ready to claim you, he will send you a sign. Until then, try to enjoy yourself, but study hard. Whoever your father is, you can serve him best if you are prepared."

I wasn't the least bit satisfied with his answer. I stuffed my hand into my pocket, and felt the pearls between my fingers. A strange feeling settled over me, the sense of resolve mixed with anger. Maybe my dad had already given me a sign and I was just too dumb to read it.

"There's a god of the ocean, isn't there? I don't get wet, I can breathe underwater, this weird lady gave me a bunch of pearls… it sounds like my dad is the sea god."

Chiron's body stiffened, which looked weird, because it wasn't just his shoulders tightening, but his horse-haunches as well. Annabeth besides me sucked in her breath. But when Chiron spoke, his voice was unequivocating, "Yes Percy, there is a sea god, Poseidon, but he, along with Zeus and Hades, swore sixty years ago that they would have no more children with mortals. If you do have the gifts you described it may be you are the son of Triton, Poseidon's heir, or any number of minor sea gods. Paris of Troy was known to have hair which never got wet for his grandfather was the river-god Sangarius. It is impossible to know, Percy, but we shall give your father the chance to claim you."

"But what if he doesn't?"

Did that happen? Somehow I knew without asking that it did. Annabeth had said it was odd that all the other kids in our grade had been claimed so quickly, and that meant usually it didn't happen. How many kids went seven years at this school with no sign from their godly parent? Was I to be another one?

My heart sunk. I knew my luck. I knew I would be.

"Have faith, Percy. They are gods, after all. Prayer and offerings may buy you answers."

Great, just great. I wasn't religious by any means, but I knew enough about Christianity at least to know you didn't have to buy God's favor. You weren't supposed to have to buy your parents' love either. I had really gotten the short end of the stick here.

But I wasn't about to complain. I was used to life being unfair. So I gritted my teeth, and nodded my head, "Alright."

"Good," Chiron smiled fondly at me. "Annabeth, would you show him to Hermes House?"

Hermes House turned out to be the biggest of the smaller temples. (Say that three times fast.) Unlike most of the others, it didn't look like much, though I realized that hanging above the door was what I had so cleverly referred to as 'the snake-thingy from hospitals' when it appeared over Connor's head. Annabeth saw me looking at it, and said, "It's call the caduceus. It's not really a medical symbol you know. Asclepius, not Hermes, is the healer, but mortals don't know anything. They can't tell one snake from two."

"Who's your dad anyways?"

Annabeth gritted her teeth. "Mom, weren't you paying attention to the play? My mom's Athena."

Oh yeah. Amid everything else I'd forgotten about the little musical interlude of the play. Though that made me wonder, "Wait, is that true? How could they know that about you when you're only in sixth grade as well?"

Annabeth scowled, but explained, "You need to learn to listen. The song told you everything you need to know. I may be twelve, but I've been here for five years already. I ran away from home when I was seven and I only survived because of Luke… well, Luke and Thalia."

"Who's Thalia?"

Annabeth's scowl deeper. I wondered how she'd take it if I told her scowling gave you frown lines. I figured not well.

Then she pointed to the big pine tree which stood on the property line and promptly announced, "That's Thalia."

That of course made no sense what-so-ever, but I wasn't going to ask anymore questions. Not if Annabeth was going to respond like that. Instead, I focused on the building in front of me. Inside it looked quite a bit more like a house than a temple, though I could see it was crowded. How many kids did Hermes have? Or maybe it was just all the other people who weren't Hermes's kids that made it so crowded. All the kids like me.

"Look, don't worry too much. Luke's head-of-house for Hermes, so you won't be alone. This place really isn't all that bad, not once you get used to it."

Annabeth did not seem like the type of person who was frequently 'reassuring'. I knew this was her going out of her way to be nice. So I tried to appreciate it, even if something about her tone gritted on my temper. Or maybe this whole day had just gritted on my temper.

She left me alone, gathering my thoughts outside Hermes House. Finally I decided I had nothing to lose and entered.

It was bigger than it seemed from the outside, much like the classrooms in the school. Once I stepped inside, I discovered I was in a big corridor, smaller rooms off shooting on either side, and a staircase to an upper level you couldn't see from outside.

"Luke! There's a random kid in the doorway," a girl, perhaps fifteen, shouted as she walked to the window and dumped a six-foot cactus outside.

Luke came bounding down the stairs, plates and cups in his arms, and more tumbling down after him. I went over to help him pick them up, but before I could, one of the plates sprouted wings and flew away. Luke just sighed, "We now have four children of Hecate here. This is going to get real old, real fast."

"How many people live here?" There was sheer chaos all around me, and every time I looked I saw a whole crowd of new people. All colors, all shapes, all sizes. I couldn't keep track of it. And I could hear more people upstairs

"About forty," Luke sighed, and I just stared. There were probably only a hundred kids in the whole school, and almost half of them lived in the same place? That was insane.

"Yeah, it's a lot, but god of travelers and all. Mostly they're unclaimed or the children of minor gods. My dad only has seven, or I guess eight now, with Connor. Frankly, I kind of like it. You just sort of give up trying to be in control after a while and let the chaos happen."

He could say that again. Still, I couldn't imagine being Luke and responsible for all these people. It just seemed insane, "Why don't the minor gods have their own houses?"

Luke cocked his head like that was a stupid question, but nearby I heard a guy a little older than me laugh. "I've been saying that for years, kid. But that's the definition of minor. No temples. No sacrifices. No house."

That seemed a bit harsh to me. I suppose I understood the minor gods not each getting their own place, but surely it made sense to have one house for all of them. It might free up a little room in Hermes House at least.

Luke grabbed my suitcase and started dragging it up the stairs. As he went up, a frog came hopping down, and a girl chased after it shouting, "Help! It's Jessica!"

I really hoped she didn't mean the frog was a girl. Somehow I suspected she did. Luke didn't bat an eye- let the chaos flow indeed. He just continued up the stairs as if this happened every day, and I supposed it must. When we reached the top, I found even more bedrooms, though it seemed a bit quieter. A bunch of kids were gathered into what looked like a living room playing poker, and I spotted a few older kids kissing in a closet. Luke just kept walking, moving away from the noise and commotion, "We're beyond capacity at this point. The place only has eight rooms, you see. The house magically makes one for each child of Hermes, but it can't seem to register everyone else who lives here. And trust me, the children of Hecate have tried. As head-of-house, though, I have my own little office I've turned into my room. You can stay there with me."

I was touched. In a house completely overflowing with unwanted kids, Luke had chosen me to move into his private space. "Thank… thank you."

Luke just shrugged, "We're literally out of space everywhere else, so it's not charity. You'll have to deal with the couch but at least it's something."

It was something, and when we finally got to the room, I decided it was something kind of nice. It was small, don't get me wrong, but there was enough space for a bed, dresser, and couch. A bright red rug lay across the middle, giving it a warm, homey feel. As a kid who'd always lived in Manhattan, I didn't think twice about the size. I loved it. Especially when I looked out the tall window and realized I could see Long Island Sound. For a moment, I stared at the the waves crashing along the shoreline. Chiron seemed convinced my father was some sort of sea god. Was he right? Was my father out there somewhere, looking back at me?

I turned away from the window. "Luke, can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot."

"That song, in the play. It was about you, right? So… so that means you've met your dad, right, once?"

Luke seemed to deflate at the thought of it, but with a deep sigh, he nodded. "Yeah, I did. He… My mom had issues, Percy. I ran away as soon as I was old enough to realize that. I made some friends. I survived. But it was tough. He was late giving me my acceptance here. He delivered letters to everyone else, but couldn't find his son until I found him. Percy, be glad you don't know who your dad is. The moment you do you'll just see all the ways he's failed you."

Luke's words were utterly depressing, but they stayed with me even as the conversation moved to lighter topics- schoolwork, sword fighting, etc.. I had to say, I wasn't overly thrilled with my dad so far. If he was a god, he had the power to do anything. Why hadn't he helped my mom? Why had he let me grow up poor, unwanted? A few pearls were nothing compared to what he probably owed in child support.

When we got to the dining hall, I noticed everyone scrapping part of their plate into the fire. I was about to ask Luke why, but then I remembered Chiron throwing a steak into the fire at our all-school assembly. Apparently the gods just liked things like that.

So what I ended up asking Luke was, "How come you sacrifice to the gods if you hate them so much?"

A mischievous grin spread across Luke's face, and he winked. Then he stepped up to the fireplace, scrapped off the juiciest piece of meat and muttered, "To whatever god wants to see my father fall."

A chill rippled down my spine, even as I approached the warm hearth. Luke's words frightened me. In just a few hours, it was easy to understand why Luke was angry with his father. I was angry with my father too. I didn't care if they were gods; they still had a responsibility to their children. Instead they left us to face the dangers of the world. It wasn't even the monsters which were the problem, at least we had the power to fight those. It was the pitfalls of our mortal families we couldn't stab with a knife. I thought of Luke's mom's 'issues', of Annabeth running away at age seven, of Gabe. I had no doubt that every kid in this camp had a similar story. Some might seem worse than others, but we all had problems. What else could you expect from parents who'd been eaten by their own father!

But that was it, wasn't it. Maybe we had problems, but clearly our parents did as well. Maybe we needed them, but I could only hope that maybe, just maybe, they needed us to. Maybe if I did well my dad would realize I was worth making his family angry. He would realize I was good for something. I had to be good for something.

So when I stepped up to the fire, as tempted as I was to curse my dad, I didn't. Instead, I offered up a whispered prayer, "Please, whoever you are, just give me a chance."

 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5- I Still Have To Go To Math Class

The weirdest thing about the next few days? How normal it all was.

I mean don't get me wrong, Achilles Academy was a crazy place, and Hermes House got the worst of it. After dinner we'd had a big sing-along campfire that went until the underclassmen were sent to bed. But the noise from the fire carried and I couldn't possibly go to sleep. Besides, even with half the kids still out at the campfire, Hermes House was crowded.

None to my surprise, the runaway frog turned out to be a girl, Jessica Jo, an unclaimed senior. No one had bothered to turn her back before dinner and the campfire, but Luke came back with the underclassmen to deal with the situation.

If she'd been turned into a frog by one of the Hecate kids, that wouldn't have been a problem. As I quickly learned, Hecate was the goddess of magic, the reason the Mist existed in the first place. Her children had inherited the same skills, and so turning someone into a frog? No problem.

But it wasn't a child of Hecate who had turned her into a frog. No, it was Sharron, another unclaimed senior. According to Sharron, she and Jessica had been 'catching up' in their room when suddenly Jessica turned into a frog.

An hour later Jessica admitted she might have kissed Sharron right before she turned into a frog.

An hour after that Chiron and Mr. D showed up to assess the situation. The god of wine gave a long lecture about why Jessica was better off as a frog, but, at Chiron's prompting, tried to turn her back.

And it didn't work.

Have you ever seen a god fail at something? I suppose not-probably you haven't ever seen a god. Let me tell you, when a god fails at something, it's big news. They brush it off, pretend they weren't trying, but you can see the fear in their eyes. It's that same fear straight A students get whenever they look at a test question they don't know. That realization that no matter how good you are, how smart you are, how powerful you are, sooner or later you'll come to a problem bigger than you.

 _So what did Mr. D do then, Percy?_ You may ask. Well, I want you to think for a moment. Any guesses?

You guessed it- he turned Sharron into a frog as well.

"Now Mr. D, you really mustn't turn students into frogs," Chiron chastised, but there was something in his voice which made me think this actually happened on a regular basis.

"Look at how cute they are though. Aphrodite must be vomiting Iris."

(It would be a few weeks before I understood my mythology well enough to get that.)

"No? Fine, but she's going to be more miserable as a human, mark my works," Mr. D sighed, then he raised his hand, and Sharron stood back before us.

Sharron broke into sobbing tears, and Mr. D just looked around the room like _'hey, what did I tell ya?'_

It took a while for Sharron to calm down, but finally the truth came out. While she was a frog, Sharron had been able to communicate with Jessica. Makes sense, they're both humans who had been turned into frogs, why couldn't they communicate? Unfortunately, Jessica had admitted to Sharron that she liked her, but she didn't think they should date. Apparently Jessica had been having weird dreams. Every night she dreamt she was kissing Sharron. And every time she did, a woman appeared, waved her fingers, and turned them both into frogs.

At this, Mr. D and Chiron exchanged a look, and then, to prove they really had seen all of this before, they explained what was going on. The woman in Jessica's dreams was Aphrodite, goddess of love and Jessica's mother. Aphrodite, however, was also Sharron's mother. They were half-sisters. So when they, oblivious to their relationship, began to develop feelings, well their mom decided it was time to step in and turn them into frogs.

I don't know what weirded me out more, that they had accidentally gotten a crush on their sister, or that Aphrodite thought the best course of action was not to, say, claim them, but to turn them into frogs when they kissed.

Though granted, it gave me a pretty good idea of how gods' minds worked, and I resented my dad a lot less for having only ever given me pearls. At least he had never turned me into a dolphin or something. (Though when Mr. D caught me gaping at the whole situation, he threatened to do just that.)

They finally resolved the situation by getting this kid Adrian to kiss Jessica-the-frog, turning her back into a human. Adrian apparently had quite the crush on Jessica, and Jessica, frankly, was kind of flattered. I just hoped she and Adrian wouldn't start dating before Jessica and Sharron figured themselves out a bit more.

On the bright side, that was two fewer unclaimed kids in Hermes House.

But the crazy thing is that that, that wasn't strange at all for Achilles Academy. On Monday, I woke up to Luke muttering in his sleep. In the darkness it was hard for me to make out the older teen, but I could hear him, 'No, please, leave me alone.' For the first time in a long time, I hadn't had any dreams, but I knew what it was like to be trapped in a nightmare unable to wake up.

I crawled out of bed. It was still September, warm and muggy, but the floor of our room was cool against my feet. The sun was just beginning to rise. Out the window I swore I could see a Lamborghini on the horizon, but when I blinked, it was just the sun. The clock on the wall, the closest to 'technology' I'd seen since getting to school, read a little past six. Hermes House was silent for the first time.

I crept across the floor, grabbed Luke's shoulder, and shook, "Luke, Luke, wake up."

Luke woke up, but he woke up violently. One second, he was asleep. The next, he'd grabbed my arm, twisted it, and brought a knife to my neck. I couldn't even see where the knife came from it was so fast, but I supposed he had to have kept it beneath his pillow. Who kept a knife beneath their pillow, especially in a place magically protected from monsters?

Luckily, Luke realized it was just me before he slit my throat, or I would have died right then-and-there. (Saving everyone a lot of trouble, no doubt.) He dropped the blade, and cussed, swapping between Ancient Greek and English in a long string of words my mother would have killed me for using.

"Gods, Percy. You can't do that."

"Why do you sleep with a knife under your pillow!"

"Why did you wake me up at six AM?"

No answer then. I didn't push the question, just shrugged. I felt pretty stupid, which, if you haven't noticed, happens a lot. Still, I was suddenly reminded of the fact that Luke was a senior in high school, and I was in 6th grade. Under normal circumstances we'd probably never meet. We'd certainly never talk. I supposed we were some sort of cousin, all demigods were, but still, even if we were normal mortal cousins we probably wouldn't have been friends. There was a big difference between twelve and eighteen. A big difference.

But Luke had been so nice to me. Maybe he was just curious after our chance meeting in Central Park, but it felt like more than that. He was just, just friendly. He didn't care that I was younger. He didn't treat me like a kid or get mad that I still kinda was. He just let me be. He'd given me a place on his couch, told me the truth about his past, commiserated with me about our dads… in less than a day he'd become a better friend than I'd had in years. Maybe that's sad, but it's true.

Still, when he looked at me all annoyed, I was worried he'd lose his patience, and fumbled a little bit, "I was just… you… you sounded like you were having a nightmare. I wanted to help."

Luke's gaze softened, and he just shook his head. "Percy, we're demigods. If we try to wake each other up from every nightmare, we'll never sleep. But I appreciate you trying. Now, go back to sleep. We still have an hour before we need to get up."

He rolled over, and almost immediately feel back asleep. I just wasn't tired. I wandered over to the window, and saw a bunch of kids milling about by the shore. My heart leapt. If they were allowed to do that, it meant I could as well. I quickly dressed and ran out to join them.

None of the kids looked like they had any real purpose for being outside so early in the morning. A few of them were playing 2 v. 2 volleyball, but others were just lying on the beach relaxing and talking to each other. Off to the side, a notebook in hand, I noticed one of the kids in my grade, the kid who'd gotten the glowing arrow over his head. I supposed that meant his dad was the god of archery, but I honestly didn't know any mythology beyond what I'd seen in Disney's Hercules so I didn't quite know who the god of archery was.

Still, I figured I might as well take the time to get to know the other kids in my grade. I already knew Annabeth I supposed, but she was so intense I didn't quite know what to think. This kid looked a lot more relaxed, even as he crouched over a notebook.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Go… Oh! You're not my brother!"

I laughed awkwardly, and sat down, "No, I don't think so. Why, did you want me to be?"

The kid shook his head, folding the notebook up and laying it besides him, "Not at all. Michael never seems to shut up, you know? I've always been an only child so now six siblings… it's a lot. Oh, I'm Dylan. Sorry, forgot that bit."

"Percy," I answered with a smirk. "But if you want to talk about crazy housemates you should drop by Hermes House." I then proceeded to tell him about the events of the night before.

Dylan shook his head, laughing hard as the story ended, "Wow. Sounds like the perfect setting for a sit-com. 'Forty half-bloods, four walls, Olympus will never be the same again!' I bet I could get it to play on Hephaestus TV at least…"

"What TV?" It had almost sounded as if he'd sneezed in the middle of that sentence.

"Hephaestus. He's the god of fire, or forges, or something like that. I'm still trying to keep it all straight. I don't know why he has his own TV station, but apparently he does. We had it on last night at my house."

"I thought technology didn't work here."

Dylan shrugged, "It's not normal technology, is it? Someone jerry-rigged a shield to play it, but I wouldn't get too excited. Last night was just six hours worth of 'I Love Leto' reruns."

Had I given up on being surprised? You bet it.

Silence fell over us for a moment, but then Dylan asked, "Why are you up if you're a Hermes kid?"

"Hermes isn't my dad… at least I don't think so. I'm still waiting to be claimed. And I guess I just couldn't sleep. I like the ocean. It reminds me of my mom." I left out the bit about how it might remind me of my dad as well.

Dylan nodded in understanding, "I'm from California, so this feels wicked early, but it's nice. I've always gotten up with the sun. Apparently it's an Apollo thing, since my dad is the sun god. Maybe you are my brother and that's why you're up too."

I considered it for a moment. Somehow, though, the god of archery and the sun just didn't fit in with what I knew about my dad. I turned back to Long Island Sound and wondered what would happen if I just dived right in.

I tried talking to Dylan a little bit more, but we didn't have much in common. He was a real 'artsy' kid and while I had nothing against that, I'd lived in Manhattan my whole life and never seen a Broadway show-they were just too expensive.

I was about to go ask some of his siblings if I could play volleyball with them when I all of a sudden heard a terrified scream. I looked up, and there on the shoreline I saw a girl floating towards us in a little sailboat. Unfortunately for her, the front half of the sailboat had been surrounded by what seemed to be a giant snake. When it squeezed, the whole bow snapped clear off, and the ship began to sink.

I didn't wait to see what happened next. Without thinking about anything like, I don't know, my utter lack of weapons, I dived into the ocean. Suddenly I felt stronger than I had ever felt in my life. I had always been a good swimming, but this was different. It felt as if the sea itself was helping me, as if the tide had suddenly decided to switch directions so I could swim faster.

Some advice, don't jump into the ocean when you know there is a sea monster lurking about. I don't care how strong a swimmer you are it's a bad, bad idea.

I reached the little sailboat just as the mast went underwater. The girl who'd been on the boat treaded water furiously. Her eyes brightened when I popped up from beneath the foam, but she didn't look happy. Instead she looked terrified. "Watch out!"

Too late. I had been so focused on getting to the ship I'd somehow forgotten about the monster which had caused it to sink in the first place. The only thing that saved me from getting eaten was the girl I'd come to save. She threw her hands out in front of her, and suddenly I found myself surrounded in a bubble of water. When the monster opened its mouth and tried to gobble me up, it was like trying to chomp through solid metal.

The monster was so surprised that it immediately let go, which is probably a good thing, because the girl's bubble of protection fell quickly. When I turned to look at her, she looked almost as surprised as I was about what had happened. Then her eyes drifted shut, and she promptly fainted.

Have you ever passed out? Probably not. It really doesn't happen all that often to normal people. But if you ever do pass out I would highly recommend not passing out in the middle of the ocean during a sea monster attack. She came back around almost as quickly as she'd passed out, but for a single moment her head had went underwater. I reached out, grabbing her and pulling her back up. She coughed and spluttered water all over us, and then said, "How is your hair dry?"

Demigods. We're ADHD even during a fight.

The sea monster burst out of the water, leaping over us. I knew it was just trying to scare us, but it worked. The thing was huge, like a ten foot long snake the width of a bowling ball. And its teeth… they were too big to even fit into its mouth, and covered in the rotting remains of shark fins. It was terrifying even without the intimidation tactics.

Especially because I had no idea what to do. The girl had saved me with her little bubble, but she was clearly too exhausted to do it again, even if she somehow figured out how she'd done it in the first place. The shore was pretty far away. I could see the Apollo kids frantically trying to help us, but we were too far out even for their arrows. There was no way we'd make it back there without getting eaten. And I had no weapon.

No, that wasn't true. I reached into my pant pocket and found the pearls inside. They wouldn't do me any good, I knew that in my gut, but they represented something more important. I didn't know who my dad was, but he was a sea god at the least. By the ocean, I always had a weapon.

I remembered the wave I'd sent at the dog-man and Annabeth over the summer. I hadn't even been trying then and it had been plenty to distract my foe. Now I tried. I watched the sea monster as it leapt through the waves, counted the seconds until it would be right on top of us. The girl besides me shrieked, and all I could see were the monster's dirty teeth opening wide to swallow me up.

I felt a pull within me, and focused all my energy on one thought-wave.

The monster came crashing towards us, but it was met with a tsunami of seismic proportions. The wall of water grew twenty feet in the air, swallowing the monster whole and lifting it high above the surf. I watched, teeth gritted, arms out, as the monster flailed and squirmed in its casing, trying to break free. So, I let it. I focused on pushing the waves backwards and flung the monster high into the air. I didn't kill it, so far as I know, but it disappeared into a blink along the ocean's surface.

"How… how did you do that?"

I turned to the girl and properly studied her for the first time. She was probably my age, maybe a bit younger, and tiny, with curly blond hair and bright Mediterranean eyes. She was soaking wet, but, true to her word, I was not. It was a strange feeling.

Though not as strange as, for once, being the one who actually knew what was going on, "The same way you protected me- our parents are gods of the sea. We're the same."

I expected her to be as excited about that as I was, but she just shook her head and bit her bottom lip. "That… that was nothing like what I can do."

My heart dropped. Wasn't this the place where I was supposed to belong? Why was I still the freak?

"Come on, let's get back to shore before that thing comes back."

Even gazed, the girl was as strong a swimmer as me. We made it back to shore quickly, and immediately we were surrounded by the Apollo kids. (Turns out Apollo was also the god of healing.) The older teens wrapped us tightly in towels, not even noticing I wasn't wet. Then they fed us these little cubes. They looked like gelatin, but when I bit down I was shocked to taste my mom's blue chocolate chip cookies. Suddenly I was overwhelmed by how frightened I really was. I hadn't thought about it much in the moment, but I had just been eaten by a sea monster. I'd just almost been eaten! And then I'd caused a tsunami!

Suddenly, I appreciated the towel a bit more. I wrapped myself tightly in it, and just tried to breathe. I was okay. The girl was okay. It had been a little fun as well. Still, it was a lot for 6:30 in the morning

I heard the clapping of hooves and looked up to see Chiron galloping towards us. His eyes passed over the crowd of Apollo kids, landing firmly on me. I gulped. Usually this was the moment when I got expelled. It wouldn't matter that I'd just fought off a monster; I would be in trouble.

But the words didn't come. Instead, Chiron looked right away, turning to the girl. She looked more nervous than I was, and sat shivering on the shore, eyes darting about. Now though they were entirely focused on Chiron, and she looked horrified. "You're… you're…"

"I am a centaur, my dear. Chiron, headmaster of Achilles Academy," he bowed his head. I got now why he'd used the magical wheelchair when we all first arrived. It was a lot to just suddenly show up at your new school and discover your headmaster was a centaur. Actually, it made me wonder if this girl knew about the gods at all. She didn't seem to. I felt for her in that regard, but I didn't move to offer her comfort, because I didn't want Chiron looking at me anymore. He just made me nervous. It was like he was just waiting for something bad to happen.

"What is going on here!" She asked. Then she popped to her feet, and started walking back towards the ocean. "I need to go. I think I'll take my chances with the fish…"

I couldn't help it anymore, I stood up then, grabbing her shoulders. She pushed me off but stopped moving towards the sea. Instead, her eyes met mine, and she asked firmly, "Who are you?"

"I'm Percy. That's Chiron, he's a centaur, as you can see. What's your name?"

She looked over my shoulder at Chiron, and then quickly turned back to me. Apparently it was a lot easier for her to focus on me than the centaur. Couldn't say I blamed her. She took a deep breath, then said, "Celia. Celia Knowles."

"Good," I looked over my shoulder. I most definitely wasn't the most qualified person to explain what was going on. I hardly understood myself. But for better or for worse, Celia and I had already bonded. You can't fight a sea monster with someone and not bond. Therefore I just did the best I could.

"Okay, Celia, how did you get here? Where did you sail from?"

Celia frowned, as if it was difficult for her to remember, but then she carefully said, "Cape Cod? I just went sailing last night around dinner. I was dreading school today and wished I could just sail off and never return home. But then… I don't remember really. Some guy was suddenly on the boat with me, and he said he was my dad, but my dad's dead so I guess he was a ghost? But he said he'd guide me to a place where I belonged, and then I fell asleep, and when I woke up I had no idea where I was. Then that…. that thing just jumped on my boat, and then you showed up and… How aren't you wet?"

The Apollo kids hadn't noticed, but I heard them muttering now at Celia's words. I blushed and shrugged, "It just happens… But Celia, I think it was your dad. You see, and I just learned this yesterday so I know it's hard to believe, but the gods are real. Like the Greek gods, the ones you learn about in school. They're real, and they're our parents. That guy on your boat was your dad but he's not dead. He can't die which is just as weird to me as it is to you."

Celia rubbed her temples, and then stuck her fingers in her ears, as if hoping that would fix her hearing and I would be saying something which made sense. Or at least that's what I'd wanted to do the day before, so I figured that was what she was doing.

Finally, she nodded. "Oh."

Chiron stepped forward, trying to look small, but failing because, well, he was the size of a horse. "Celia, did your father tell you his name?"

"Pal-something? I feel really stupid now for not remembering if he is my dad, but it was weird. It sounded like Greek to me…" She blushed bright red, suddenly aware of what she'd said. The Apollo campers lingering nearby snickered. I tried to offer her a reassuring smile, but it probably looked more like a cringe.

Luckily, Chiron seemed to know every god like the back of his hoof, and nodded, "Palaemon, a minor sea deity in charge of granting sailors safe passage. It is only fitting that he guide you here, and we are glad to have you. Percy will show you to Hermes House, and then I believe you both have math class first thing."

Yup, you heard me right. I fought a sea monster, and then promptly got sent to math class.


	6. Scary Thing- This Was A Normal Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zero apologies for my excessive knowledge of Greek warfare. I took a whole class on ancient warfare, and half this fic was written during it. Such is the life of a Classics major...

Chapter 6- Scary Thing-This Was A Normal Day

Luke was not at all happy with me when I got back to Hermes House, Celia by my side. Not only did he now have one more student to fit in the place, but she was soaking wet. Oh, and the little bit of me leaving with no mention of where I was going and then promptly getting in a fight with a sea monster might have had something to do with his anger. But that's just a theory.

"I told you to go back to sleep," Luke muttered, but he had to help Celia find dry clothes before breakfast, so he didn't have time to yell at me. I made a point of not antagonizing him any more that morning though.

After breakfast we went to math class. It was surprisingly normal. The teacher, Miss Entwistle, was a demigod daughter of Athena, like Annabeth, but she'd gone to college for education and had taught in a mortal school before coming back to AA. (As apparently everyone called it. I thought it was odd, because we weren't a type of battery, but no one asked my opinion.)

My science teacher was a bit stranger. Mr. Sanderson's was the son of Demeter, and his room was covered in plants. Not flowers or cacti though, strange plants. There was a type of grass that bobbed and weaved in the sunlight. Apparently it was called dancing grass and in the wild it did move. But something told me it didn't normally do the cotton-eyed-joe. (It was named Joe by the way, in case you were curious).

Then there was this other plant named Galina, the 'Shy Plant' which looked like a normal pink flower, except it closed when touched. Well, normally shy plants closed when touched. Galina closed whenever someone looked at her…it… whatever.

Still, besides for the décor, the class was normal. We talked about the scientific method. Mr. Sanderson gave us strange acronyms to remember kingdom-phylum-order-class… or is it class then order? (So much for that acronym.)

English was extra Greek. I was dreading that class because it was always my worse. I'd faced down multiple monsters at this point, but I would still tell you that there is nothing more terrifying than being called on to read aloud in class. Luckily, everyone else had dyslexia as well. Well, not everyone, but most of us.

No, instead of just telling us to stare at the books and read, the Mr. Danes threw something new at us… well actually he threw a book.

The game went a little like this. We all stood in a line along the far side of the classroom, our back facing Mr. Danes. He would describe a book, throw it, and then call out one of our names. If he called your name you had to turn and catch the book before it hit the ground and then read out its title.

It was a complete mess, don't get me wrong. Apparently being a demigod gives us enhanced reflexes, hence the ADHD, but Mr. Danes was a demigod as well, child of Apollo, and when you combined his killer aim with a fondness for waiting until the last second to call out a name….

I ended up doing better than anyone else. I fumbled over how to say 'Frindle', but only because it wasn't a real word. At least I caught all my books. Drew, daughter of Aphrodite, was good with words, but catching… not so much. Half the time she didn't even try, just squealed and placed her hands in front of her face. Granted, that was probably a wise choice. Annabeth tried her best, but she still ended up taking a hard-cover 'Call of the Wild' to the face.

But it was fun. I don't know how much we learned, but there was certainly something about the task of catching a book which made the title seem to stay on the page. I doubted every day would be as fun, but Mr. Danes was cool at least, which helped a ton.

Lunch was good. As with dinner we ate with our house, but Luke seemed to have forgotten he was mad at me. Instead he and everyone else listened as Celia and I explained our battle with the sea monster. By the end of lunch, everyone in Hermes House seemed to think I was pretty great. It was a new experience, and I didn't imagine it would last very long, but still, it felt good.

History was less fun. Mr. Shepherd seemed nice, but he told us that he wanted to give us an opportunity to explore our personal histories before we got into the state-mandated stuff. That meant we had to draw a family tree of our godly side, explaining how we were related to everyone else. It was an impossible task even for someone like Annabeth, but I didn't even know where to start.

In the end, I sat with Celia and Annabeth, brainstorming different sea gods I could be related to. Celia was really hoping I was her brother. "It would be cool to have a sibling." Personally, though, I doubted it. She'd been right about one thing- our powers were very different. Her bubble of protection made sense if her dad kept sailors safe, but what about me? According to Annabeth most of the storm-causing sea gods were sea goddesses, and rivers didn't have the kind of waves I made. The only options left were Triton, Poseidon's son, and Nerites, only brother to the fifty nereids. Triton didn't sound too bad, except for the fact that he was a fish, and that Ariel would be my half-sister.

"I don't want to be related to a Disney princess, okay?"

Annabeth huffed, looking around, "Hey, who has Hercules on their family tree?"

Every single one of them raised their hand, including Celia besides me. I groaned. Disney princes were different than Disney princesses, but I didn't know how to explain that without Annabeth murdering me.

Nerites didn't seem to do anything in the stories but drive Poseidon's chariot, so it was hard to know if he could be my dad. Well, he also might have been Poseidon's lover at one point, but for some reason the idea of Poseidon having lovers at all, male or female, made me really uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, when I told Annabeth about the women I'd met in the sea, she told me that it had to have been a nereid, which gave credence to the Nerites theory. Even she didn't seem convinced though. More than once she hissed, something about "Zeus didn't keep his oath." But each time I asked her about it she pretended I was hearing things.

Ancient Greek was just odd. Maybe even odder than Annabeth. Ms. Jett started speaking to us immediately in Greek, which should have been a disaster, except somehow I managed to understand some of it. Apparently that was another demigod ability. Still, the moment we sat down and started talking 'conjugations' and 'declensions', I remembered why I had always hated language classes in school. I didn't know what a 'direct object' was in English, never mind in another language.

PE should have been fun, except our coach was a son of Nike, and obsessed with running. Sure, I'm a hyperactive demigod, but I can't run for forty minutes straight around a track. Not fast at least. And if we didn't go fast enough we started to sink right into the track. Lou Ellen ended up knee deep in cement when she stopped to breathe.

I was glad when the bell rang, especially because our last class of the day proved to be actually interesting. According to Annabeth, there were all sorts of things you could end up doing during open-block. The heads-of-houses planned activities and pulled in as many grades as they wanted. For this first day though, we were all alone. The head of Hephaestus House, a burly senior named Thaddeus, led us all to the forges. Some of the older Hephaestus kid who were allowed to pick how they used their open-block were in the back, hammering away at weapons. The daughter of Hephaestus in my grade, Nyssa, had looked pretty sullen all day, sticking to herself mostly, but she seemed to let down her guard the moment we stepped into the forge.

"Children of Hephaestus have to make their own weapon, it's tradition," Thaddeus explained, nodding as Nyssa went off to a block of bronze she must have started on the day before. "But the rest of you we can find something for. Every demigod needs a weapon." He paused, looking between me and Celia, "I hear we had a sea monster this morning. I bet you wish you'd had a knife."

Yeah, a knife definitely would have been nice.

"Most of you will probably have a lot of weapons over the years. Some people pick one and stick with it, but I don't care how strong you'll be at sixteen, you probably can't handle a battle-ax right now.

"The Ancient heroes fought with spears called dory or proto-xiphos, basically short swords. Odysseus used a bow so heavy no one else could draw it. But they usually knew when they were going into battle and could bring a shield and armor. You won't get that luxury when a hellhound jumps you in the middle of Arby's, so don't limit yourself to the kind of weapon you think a hero uses. Daggers are great for girls. Easy to hide, and usually you can trick someone into coming close enough for you to stab them. Poisoned blades are even better, but you'll have to make your own poison. Personally, I fight with a mace, think a giant rock on the edge of a stick. The Egyptians loved them. But you need strength to do that, and none of you have it. So just keep an open mind, walk around, see what calls to you."

I was about to wander over to the spears, but Annabeth grabbed my arm and dragged me towards the swords. Apparently since she already had a weapon she was determined to help me find one of my own. The problem? All the weapons stunk.

Okay, that's not very fair to the Hephaestus kids who worked hard on them, but really, none of them felt right in my hand. One had too fancy a grip, dueling dragons which wrapped around your hand. Unfortunately, my hand just got stuck, and I almost chopped off Annabeth's arm as I tried to put the sword down.

Some of them were too long, more of a medieval style. Maybe in a few years I'd be able to manage them, but at the moment, well I could hardly lift them.

The knives were all too short. Sure, with Annabeth's knife I'd managed to kill the dog-man (no I wasn't going to bother learning it's Greek name). That didn't mean I would get so lucky again. I didn't have the right charm to get close enough to my enemies without being close enough to be dead, and I didn't have the right reflexes for such personal combat. Trust me, I tried.

I was studying one of the knives intently when Annabeth hissed, "I'm telling you, Percy, it's not right. You need a sword."

Was she right? Probably. Did I want to admit it? No way. Besides, this knife was kind of cool. The serrations on the blade reminded me of the ocean. "I can't carry a sword with me everywhere, though, and I'm bound to get in trouble."

"An ill-suited weapon is more likely to get you killed then none at all. If you're unarmed you use your wits. If you're poorly armed you're dumb and charge anyways."

Again, was it a fair assessment, probably, but that didn't mean I was going to listen to her.

Gripping the knife tight, I turned, saying as I did, "No, I think this will…"

I cut off as Annabeth drew her knife and slashed at me. I stumbled away just in time, knocking over a whole rack of throwing-stars. Thaddeus shouted, "Hey, watch it!"

Annabeth didn't relent. She had a point to make, and she had every intention of making it. I tried stepping around her, but had to dodge as she stepped in to stab my armpit. I took a step to the right, and promptly tripped over screwdriver which had fallen on the floor. Down I went, landing with a thud on my butt.

You might think Annabeth would have stopped then, but that's only because you don't know Annabeth. Before I could even think of getting back onto my feet, she jumped down on top of me, knocking the breath out of me and pressing her knife to my throat. She looked ready to actually kill me as she ordered, "Drop your knife."

I'd mostly forgotten I was even holding a knife, so I did. For a moment longer, Annabeth stayed on top of me, her eyes studying my face.

Then I did something utterly and completely reckless. Annabeth's knife was still pressed against my jugular, but I brought my knees up and pushed her up off of me. If she hadn't been distracted I would have died, but instead I felt only the slightest nick as Annabeth went crashing to the floor besides me.

We both jumped to our feet, ready to keep fighting, but Thaddeus jumped in-between us. "Chill, Annabeth. You don't need to kill him."

You know that kid with no filter? No ability to shut up to save their life? Hi, I'm Percy. "She couldn't kill me if she tried."

Annabeth just glared at me. "You're an idiot."

Hey, it wasn't like this was news to me.

Unfortunately, I'd made Annabeth mad enough that she no longer helped me try to find a weapon. Instead she just stormed out of the forge leaving me to clean up the mess from the fight she'd started, _That girl is kind of crazy._ I decided. Though I have to admit, I felt horrible about my last comment. Annabeth had just been trying to help. She was simply a little… intense.

I couldn't find any weapon that felt right in my hand, especially without Annabeth, so when the bell rang, I just snatched up a standard-issue knife and left. Luke had informed me that morning that after class was over we had free-time. He needed to have a basic idea of where we were, and we couldn't leave the property, but besides that, we could do whatever we wanted.

Posters lined the main hallway, urging me to 'Try out for soccer', 'Audition for Lysistrata' or 'Join the Dead Poet's Society'. For some reason it weirded me out that AA had normal clubs open to anyone. I'd assumed that people mostly hung out with their siblings, like Nyssa staying in the forge, but it made sense that wasn't the case. Even demigods had interests outside their parent's domain.

"Hey you! Wait! Percy!"

I paused at the sound of my name, and turned to see the most beautiful girl in the world running toward me. She was probably a junior or a senior, with a thin frame and long legs. Dark, wavy hair bobbed as she ran. Her skin was golden and clear, accented beautifully with makeup and bright red lipstick. Long story short- she was a knockout, and older, so I had no idea why she knew my name, never mind why she'd be pushing through crowds to get at me.

"It is Percy, right?" she asked, flashing her long eyelashes. I could hardly muster up the presence of thought to nod. Then she smiled, which made it way worse.

"Good, that's what I thought. I'm Kerry, Aphrodite Head, and captain of the swim team. I heard your dad may be an ocean god. You need to try out."

Swim team? My school last year had a swim team, but I'd never tried out because the season was the same time as basketball. Probably a good thing in retrospect; it would have been majorly odd if I'd come out of the pool dry in front of my school.

"We compete all year against a bunch of schools and only practice Tuesdays, Thursdays, and the Saturdays we don't have a meet. It's a really great group of people and it's fun to get off campus sometimes. Try-outs are today and tomorrow from 5-6 by the pool, but you don't have to go both days. Just think about it, okay?"

She smiled broadly at me, and I could never have resisted her. Though I dumbly said, "I don't have a swim suit."

She laughed, a bright, warm laugh, and shook her head, "I don't think it matters. Paula told me you don't even get wet. Just come, okay?"

I nodded dumbly, then watched her go, hips swaying, hair tossed over her shoulder. I resolved to keep a close eye on the daughter of Aphrodite in my grade, Drew. Suddenly they seemed utterly dangerous.

From behind me, I heard a laugh, and I turned to see Luke had been watching the whole exchange. "I think she's a little old for you, Percy."

I blushed bright red, which just made him laugh more. Then he slapped me on the back (a bit too had honestly). "Don't worry, Kerry does that to everyone. Just don't disappoint her and you'll be fine."

"I've never been on a swim team before. I don't know what she's expecting to happen."

Luke shrugged, "Probably a few championship medals before she graduates, but she'll tone it down. Besides, you don't have to do it. You could always audition for Lysistrata."

I grimaced at the thought, and Luke grinned. Then I asked him, "What do you do after school. Are you on a team?"

Luke's smile faded, but only for a second, then he shrugged once more and said, "I'm not one for 'team sports'. I usually just go to the training yard, practice my swordplay. Sometimes people will join me, if they want…"

It was an invitation, and I was torn. On the one hand, the idea of learning how to use a sword sounded like a lot of fun. Everyone kept saying that demigods were meant to fight, and that we'd have to. I knew we'd do some sword fighting during our open-block, I guess when Luke had us, but it might be a good idea to focus on that compared to swimming. Still, there was something appealing about being on a normal school team as well.

"I don't have a sword. None of the ones we looked at fit me," I admitted. Was I just making excuses? You decide. I did feel bad about disappointing Luke though.

"Here, Seaweed Brain, try this one."

Annabeth appeared besides me, almost like she'd been invisible only a moment before. Apparently, she wasn't mad at me anymore, because she held out her hand to offer me something. Or maybe she was mad at me, because what she was offering me wasn't a sword.

"This is a pen," I dumbly stated, grabbing it from her and waving it in the air.

Annabeth just rolled her eyes, "Uncap it."

I was certain it was a prank. Annabeth was still mad at me for our little fight in the forge, and she was getting her revenge by making me look like an idiot. I would uncap the pen and she'd just say, 'Look at Percy. He's so stupid he actually thought the pen might be a sword.'

I uncapped the pen anyways.

The pen changed shape in my hand. It was the strangest feeling. One moment I was holding a thin pen. The next, I had a thick handle in my hand, a three-foot long leaf-shaped bronze blade sprouting from it. It didn't grow. It wasn't like I felt the handle get wider until suddenly it was full-sized. No. One minute it was a tiny pen, the next, a full-sized sword. The expression on my face probably made me look way stupider than if Annabeth really had been pranking me.

Annabeth looked very pleased with herself. "It's name is Anaklusmos. That means…"

"Riptide." I didn't now how I knew what the word meant; I just did. It went deeper than just knowing the sword's name, though. As I held it in my hand, spun it around, it felt right. I had complete control over its every movement. It was an extension of my arm. The feeling made me giddy.

"Thank you. Where did you get it?" I asked Annabeth, a wide grin across my face.

She rolled her eyes, but I could see she was glad it worked. "Chiron had it. I convinced him it would be safe in your hands. Touch the tip with the cap and it will turn back into a pen that you can't ever lose. Touch the handle with the cap and it will just turn into a pen."

"What happens if I lose the cap while it's in sword form? Is it stuck like that?"

Clearly, Annabeth hadn't considered that yet. She took a moment to think, then shrugged. "I think the cap will always reappear in your pocket like the sword, but I'd recommend just not losing the cap."

I was satisfied with that answer, but besides me, Luke asked, "What happens if he's not wearing pockets? And why pockets? The Ancient Greeks didn't even have pockets. "

Annabeth hit him.

Luke didn't seem to mind. Instead he nodded outside, "Let's go see what you can do with that."

I was surprised to discover the training yard was actually a yard. Maybe that sounds stupid, but considering the main temple housed everything else- dining hall, classrooms, pool, gymnasium, track field, archery range, forge- I had assumed the training yard was indoors. Instead, Luke led me outside. It was cooler than it had been in the city, a sure sign of the impending winter, but the day was clear and bright. After hours inside, it took me a minute for my eyes to adjust.

"Chiron wants us to have as normal a school experience as possible. I think he's crazy. Demigods aren't meant to be inside all day," Luke muttered, guiding me towards a clearing near the woods. There were a few other kids there, hacking at each other with swords or spears, laughing and chatting as they did. Most of them lacked armor, but they fought with big round shields that looked heavy.

Luke saw me looking, "We'll save the hoplon for another day. For now…"

I hadn't even seen him grab a sword, but suddenly he swung at me. If I wasn't a demigod, I would be dead. Somehow though I managed to react in time, turning Riptide back into a sword and meeting his blow. "You could have warned me!"

"Do monsters give you warning?" Luke grunted back, bringing his sword back around. I greeted it, my muscles straining against his greater size and strength. This wasn't fair at all! Luke was a senior and I was in sixth grade! I'd expected him to go easy on me not…

I blocked his sword as it came towards my neck. Clearly this was no time for thinking. I just had to not die.

Luke was good. He seemed to know what I was going to do before I even did. As I finally began to fight back, he didn't relent, he pushed harder. His sword danced and curved, bobbed up and down. I struggled to find any pattern to his movements. They seemed random, but I knew they were calculated. I just had to learn how to predict the same way he could.

All and all, I lasted about five minutes, but it felt like an hour before he finally managed to disarm me. Suddenly forty minutes of running didn't seem so bad. My arms felt like jelly. Every inch of me would be covered in bruises. I couldn't seem to catch my breath. And Luke… Luke hardly looked winded, like he'd just been fighting off a fly.

Annabeth looked disappointed, but tossed me a bottle of water. I drank half of it in a sip, and then proceeded to pour the rest on me, just to cool down. It helped a ton. Immediately I felt better, though I couldn't imagine trying that again.

Luke bent down, grabbed Riptide, and handed her back to me, nodding, "That wasn't bad. I shouldn't have expected you to be able to keep up with me. You're only twelve, after all."

Was he baiting me? Yes. Did it work? You betcha.

Luke expected my blow, and raised his sword to match it. But this time I had the advantage. I used my smaller size, dodging and turning. I'd always thought that the spinning and dancing you see during movie swordfights was just for dramatics, but I found myself ducking and rolling and turning to avoid being hit or add just the littlest bit of power behind my blows.

Luke was thrown. Maybe he was just surprised by the renewed ferocity of my attacks. Whatever the case, his form began to crumble. Suddenly we were both just swinging, trying desperately to land a hit before the other hit us first.

And then our swords locked, and I tried copying what Luke had done to disarm me. It shouldn't have worked, but it did. His sword went clattering to the ground.

A loud groan erupted around me. I hadn't noticed during the fight itself, but we'd gathered quite an audience. Now that it was over, I saw money passing through hands, losers paying up debts. I blushed bright red. Who'd dared to bet on me?

Then I noticed that all the money was heading towards Annabeth, who smirked proudly, gripping the water bottle I'd thrown away. My jaw dropped. She'd planned the whole thing. She'd known the water would help me; she'd known before I did.

Luke came and clapped me on the back. If he was annoyed about having lost to a kid, he didn't show it. Instead he remarked, "Just saying, you don't get to do that on the swim team."


	7. Strength Must Bow to Wisdom… And Toilet Water

Chapter 7- Strength Must Bow to Wisdom… And Toilet Water

I missed swim tryouts because Luke and I ended up training for hours. Over, though, dinner Celia told me it looked like a nice group, so I decided to try out the next day. Kerry was thrilled to see me, gym shorts and all. As predicted, I was a good swimmer. Though when I got out of the pool completely dry, she sent me back in, "You can't do that at a meet. Try thinking about getting wet."

I did. It took a second, but suddenly I felt my shorts clinging to my skin, and my hair flopped in front of my eyes. It wasn't as comfortable, but Kerry seemed pleased which, honestly, made it impossible to feel bad. She sent me to shower and I was glowing. (Well no, I was wet, but inside I was glowing.)

I turned the shower on high, letting the steam fill the locker room. The other guys on the team had already come and gone. I wouldn't usually consider locker rooms peaceful, but it was early enough in the year that it didn't yet stink, and the steady fall of water across my back grounded me. Especially once I realized that, for the first time since I'd gotten to school, I was completely alone. No Hermes kids. No classmates. No sea monsters. Just me.

I heard the sound of laughter, and a chill crept down my spine. Suddenly, I recalled why I'd never particularly liked locker rooms before. I'd had more than a few 'incidents' within them. And as much as I tried to tell myself that it was nothing, just some guys here for whatever reason…

I cut my shower short, stepping out and drying myself off. (Why was it that I always got wet when I showered but not when I swam?) I'd just managed to pull on my pants (thank the gods) when suddenly the shower curtain was pulled to the side.

I'll admit it; I shrieked like a girl. I'd like to see you keep your cool when someone walks in on you dressing! Especially if that someone was actually three someones, all big, burly, and, in the case of the middle one, a girl.

You know that old expression 'if you don't have something nice to say, don't say it at all?' Well that's how I feel about describing the Clarisse. Suffice it to say, she's big, and I don't have anything nice to say about her. I'd noticed her and her companions briefly enough at lunch when Chiron had to break up a fight between some of the Ares kids, but now that they stood over me, I had no doubt that they were trouble.

My hand went to my pocket, but I was wearing gym shorts, and they didn't have pockets. Besides, I wouldn't have been able to get Riptide anyways, because just then Clarisse's two goons grabbed both my arms and pulled. It was like they were one of those medieval torture machines designed to tear you in two. I struggled, kicking and flailing, but they were big and I… I was twelve. In the ocean, surrounded by water, I'd had no trouble fighting a full-grown sea-monster, but in the boy's locker room, alone and unarmed, I was nothing.

As Clarisse was quick to point out. "Look at the twerp. I think the sea monster took one look and swam off laughing!"

I didn't bother responding. You can't rationalize with bullies. Unfortunately, none of my fighting seemed to make an ounce of difference. The goons dragged me across the locker room without an ounce of difficulty.

"We have an initiation for newbies who think they're better than everyone else," Clarisse chortled. (Ugly word. Perfect for her.) "I hear you like water. I have a nice bowl of it for you to drink from."

My stomach sank. I realized what she intended to do. Suddenly I renewed my efforts to escape. They dragged me into one of the stalls and kicked the back of my legs. I fell to my knees, face right above the toilet, and then the goons stepped back, letting Clarisse finish the task. Good choice for them. The smell of sewage filled my nose, but there was only one thought in my head- I won't go in.

I felt a tug in the pit of my stomach. For a second, I thought I was about to barf (as if this could get more embarrassing), but then I realized that it was the same sensation from before my tsunami. Suddenly panicked about doing something like that inside, I tried to temper it, but it was too late. The toilets exploded. We all fell backwards. One of Clarisse's goons hit his head on the stall, one slammed into the sink, smashing it. As for Clarisse and me, we landed next to each other on the ground, staring up as a barrage of water and sewage leapt from the toilet. I had the presence of mind to think-Dear gods, don't let me get wet.

Clarisse had no such godly favor; she was covered in black muck immediately. The smell was enough to make the goon who'd landed by the sink vomit. Personally, I thought I might do the same, but Clarisse's eyes were clear through the slime, and I knew I'd be dead if I stuck around. I jumped to my feet, , but because I'm, well, me, I had to make one more remark, "Try the girls' showers. They're friendlier."

She howled in anger and tried to stand. Unfortunately, she slipped and fell face-forward into the toilet of all things.

I took that as my opportunity to run.

Look, I'm not a coward? Troublemaker? Yeah. Problem child? Definitely. But a coward? Never. I therefore wasn't hiding at the bottom of the ocean when Annabeth found me. I was just…relaxing.

Annabeth was up in a canoe and for a second I considered capsizing it. But that would be mean, and while I had no problem fighting back against bullies, I liked Annabeth. She was a good friend when not attacking me. Therefore I put on my big-boy pants and swam up to the surface to meet her.

She just shook her head, "Seriously Seaweed Brain? Mr. D is going to kill you, and that's if Clarisse doesn't get to you first!"

I cringed. I think I've said it enough times already, but you really need to understand how scary Annabeth looked when she was angry. In this case she didn't seem exactly angry, but I knew I'd been pretty stupid. In my defense, I hadn't meant to blow up the toilets and destroy the locker room. I just wasn't about to let Clarisse pick on me. Still, when had it ever mattered what I 'meant' to do?

"You know, I think I'm better off under water. Maybe I can go to Atlantis, figure out who my dad is, begin my life as an underwater outlaw…"

Despite herself, Annabeth laughed. Oh she rolled her eyes at me, but she laughed, "Poseidon has an extradition treaty with Chiron, or I'd recommend it."

Dang. International (intergodly?) cooperation was certainly not to the benefit of kids like me.

Only good thing? We made it to the Big House without running into Clarisse. Maybe she was still cleaning up. Or maybe she was plotting my murder. Whatever the case, I didn't die along the journey, which was a feat in itself. But when I got there and found Chiron in his wheelchair looking at me disappointed… that definitely wasn't a good moment.

"Look I didn't mean…" I began, but Chiron raised a hand, and shook his head.

"Come with me, Percy. Annabeth, you may wait here."

I'd hoped Annabeth might be able to come, as a witness or something, but of course she hadn't actually seen the event. So instead I was left with no defense, following a horse in a wheelchair, as I went meet with an alcoholic god who hated all half-bloods.

The cynical part of me decided that the whole situation was kind of funny. I was sure I'd be expelled now, and that would just prove to my mom that I really could get expelled from anywhere. Of course, she'd be disappointed in me, which would stink, and I'd have to leave all my new friends, which would stink more, and, oh, I'd probably get eaten by monsters within a week, but hey, I'd have proven my point.

I felt like crap. My shoulders sagged. My eyes stuck to the floor. There was no one to lay the blame on this time. No monster or foe. I'd messed up. I'd lost control. I'd exploded the bathroom. Good one Percy.

Mr. D looked almost sober, which probably wasn't a good thing. He sat at a small round table playing solitaire, and didn't look up immediately as we entered. Chiron pointed me to the one empty seat before rolling up next to Mr. D. I sat there fidgeting for a moment. When the director still didn't look up, Chiron cleared his throat, "Mr. D, you'll be glad to know we found Percy Jackson."

"Oh yeah, thrilled," Mr. D said not looking up. "So, did the harpies enjoy their meal?"

Chiron looked almost more exasperated with Mr. D than he was with me, and sighed, "No. Recall Zeus agreed that feeding students to harpies undermines our duty of care. Besides, we must speak to him first, to determine his side of the story."

That almost shocked me out of my seat. I don't know if anyone but my mom has ever asked my side of the story. Actually, I'd begun to think it was only something adults did in movies.

Mr. D finally looked up, and when his gaze set upon me, I thought I was about to lose my mind. I saw every horrible thing you can imagine- my test grades, my mom's dead body, burning cities. But then a second later he blinked, and I felt perfectly normal. It almost left me wondering if the visions themselves had been horrible hallucinations, which, from the grin on his face, was kind of the point.

I made a mental note then and there- Don't mess with Mr. D. He might have been an alcoholic god grounded to a school for half-bloods, but he was still a god. An Olympian god at that.

"So, you thought it would be funny to blow up my locker room, did you, Johnson."

"It's Jackson." Woops. So much for my decision not to antagonize Mr. D. "Ah… Sir?"

Mr. D just glared. "Well, Johannsen? What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Look! It wasn't my fault. I mean it was but… That girl, Clarisse, and her goons just showed up, pulled me out of the shower, and dragged me across the bathroom. She wanted to give me a swirly and I wasn't about to let that happen!"

"So you exploded the toilets? How did you do that? Greek fire? Reverse-Molotov cocktail? Did you stab it?"

Did stabbing toilets usually make them explode? "No! I just thought about not going in and it was like the water responded to me. Look, I really didn't mean to break anything or hurt anyone… is the guy who hit his head…"

"Mark is angry, but unharmed. The same cannot be said for the sinks," Chiron admitted, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I'd wanted to stop them, not kill them. Still, Chiron looked troubled.

Meanwhile Mr. D actually looked interested. I won't say I had his undivided attention, but I had most of it. He squinted, like he was trying to see more than what was in front of him (or just needed glasses), "Who's your father?"

I looked over to Chiron for help, but he said nothing. I was left stammering, "We… we don't know. I'm unclaimed. Chiron said he might be a minor sea god because I can control water. And breath under it. And not got wet."

"Can you speak to horses?"

Chiron went rigidly still. "Mr. D, I don't think that is an appropriate question. As you well know…"

"No, no, let him answer. Well, Peter Johnson, can you speak to horses?"

I had no idea what kind of question that was. But I answered, "Um? No? I mean… does Chiron count?"

Mr. D snorted a laugh at that one, but then he went deadly serious, which almost made it scarier. "Well, see that you don't start to, or we'll have bigger problems. Minor sea god… if he really… Ah never mind. Not my problem. I'll let Zeus deal with Poseidon. As for you- what shall we do?"

"Let me go because it wasn't my fault and punish Clarisse for bullying?"

Mr. D rolled his eyes, "Right, and I'll wave my hand and make the world fair. Who do you think I am, Tyche? No… I was thinking turning you into a dolphin but clearly you shouldn't be let near water. Oh that's a good idea. We could not let you go near any water for a week, drink wine instead…"

"Mr. D, he is twelve. He cannot drink wine."

"In my day we all drank wine at twelve… well no, we didn't. I hadn't invented wine yet. But once I did… Well, Chiron, if you don't like my ideas you punish him."

And then he went back to playing solitaire, and it was as if we weren't even there.

Chiron must have been used to this kind of behavior, because he did not seem bothered. Instead he began wheeling out of the room, and I jumped to my feet, pleased to follow. Actually I was just pleased. I was fairly certain that I wouldn't be expelled, which was a first. It surprised me actually how happy I was to know I could stay.

Chiron did not say anything until we'd made it outside. There, on the porch of the big house, I could see everyone else preparing for dinner, laughing and chatting. I even spotted Clarisse and her goons with the other Ares kids, though they certainly weren't laughing.

"The locker room will be repaired by the morning. You will clean it by hand for the next week. No doubt once Ares House discovers this they will make the task unpleasant as possible. That shall be punishment enough."

A part of me wanted to say, 'That's not fair. I didn't do anything.' But it seemed pointless. After all, I had done something. I'd made a big mess, and now, I'd need to clean up even bigger ones. What really got to me was, "And let me guess, Clarisse gets off scot-free."

Chiron looked over at me, the expression on his face clear and warm. But his eyes had a serious look to them, and they made me feel childish for whining. "Percy, you have embarrassed Clarisse. There is no greater punishment for a child such as her. And no greater gift, if it may bring her humility in the future. As for you, you must learn control. And next time you must not run away. Had you remained, stood by your own actions, I could have turned a blind eye to it, but once I had to organize a search, I could not ignore what occurred. A hero must always stand by his deeds, good or ill, Percy. That is what gives their word strength."

"Yeah, well I'm not a hero," I muttered. I would have jammed my hands into my pockets, but I still didn't have any.

Chiron shook his head, and looked back out at camp… or perhaps he was looking at the sea. "Yes, Percy. You are, and not because of whoever your father may or may not be. There were upperclassmen on the beach yesterday, young men and women who have trained for years to fight monsters, but you did not look to others to solve your problems for you. You did not run away. Had you not responded as you did, Celia would most likely be dead."

I squirmed awkwardly. People had been saying for days now that I was a hero for dashing out to help Celia, but looking back on it, it had been a pretty stupid thing to do. Besides, "Celia saved me too. I almost got eaten."

Chiron smiled at me, "Heroes are made great by their deeds, but they are made good by their willingness to be accept the help and friendship of others. In this you are a greater hero than Clarisse shall ever be. Selflessness and friendship come far more naturally to you than control, but neither is more important. You must not let what happened today occur again. Remember that, Percy."

"I will." I meant it too. I didn't promise, because I wasn't sure I'd be able to keep that promise, but I had every intention of at least trying to keep in control next time. Though, I was partially convinced that it was my attempt to stop the eruption which had exaggerated it. But that was just my luck.

Chiron studied me a minute more, but then nodded, "Good. Now, I believe it is time for dinner. You may go."

I didn't want to stay there, but the thought of going to the dining hall wasn't too appealing either. No doubt everyone would be talking about me-again. And Clarisse might decide I seemed like a good offering to the gods…

Chiron must have read my mind, because he remarked, "I have no doubt that Clarisse will attempt to prove she has not been beaten, but not tonight. You have frightened her enough that she will not try anything rash. She will wait until the odds are on her side."

I didn't see how that was a good thing.

"I still don't get why you let her bully people," I muttered under my breath. Bullying… it wasn't cool. I'd seen some kids utterly destroyed by it. I was lucky enough to have a tough skin, but if I was utterly honest, I'd been hurt as well.

Chiron frowned, "Percy, here we try to provide demigods with some semblance of normality, but ultimately you must be stronger than your mortal peers. And the urge to fight back is a great deal more prevalent in the children of the gods. Unfortunate as it may be, many have learned how to fight in order to defend themselves from bullies. I do not feel right taking away such an opportunity. Not when I know that monsters shall do far more than throw sticks and stones."

I frowned. It still felt wrong, but I got what he meant. Or I at least understood that however wrong it was, it probably shouldn't change. Yeah, life wasn't fair. I was used to it.

"Now, dinner. I do believe we are having barbeque tonight."

We did have barbeque that night, and actually, it was kind of fun. Apparently Clarisse liked to target the unclaimed kids of Hermes House, so I found myself surrounded by kids who thought I was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Ethan, a 7th grader, told me point blank, "She got what she deserved."

Of course Clarisse and the Ares kids sneered at me the whole time, and when I went to clean the bathroom the next day I found someone had taken poop, thrown it at the wall, and written 'You're dead'. I gagged as I cleaned it up, but honestly, I just felt bad for the idiot who'd decided to threaten me that way. They were the one who had to write in poop.

I found other surprises over the next week. Scorpions in the lockers. Rotting fish in the sink. But honestly, it wasn't that bad. School was, well, school, but I enjoyed swim practice, and would train with Luke or Annabeth whenever I got the chance. They seemed to be having less fun than me though. Probably because they were convinced Clarisse was going to try and kill me one of these days and were hoping they could somehow make sure I survived.

The opportunity for murder came my second weekend at AA, when we played capture the flag. Now, you've probably played capture the flag before in gym class. I know I would always be forced to play it when the gym teacher thought our games of dodgeball were getting too violent. Capture the flag was the peaceful gym game, right? Wrong.

Luke informed me that when AA played capture the flag… well it usually ended with at least a half-dozen kids in the infirmary. A few kids had even died playing it over the years, though, admittedly, a few kids had died during archery lessons as well. Still, capture the flag was the only time people actively tried to hurt each other. Technically we weren't allowed any 'intentional' maiming, but it was impossible to prove intent. Everyone was certain that Clarisse would use this as the opportunity to murder me and then claim it was an accident.

Personally I thought that as the head of Ares House, Clarisse had more important things to worry about than me, but Luke insisted she would find a way to win and kill me. That was just Clarisse.

Hermes House was on the Athena team. Though technically the youngest in Athena House, Annabeth had been at AA for longer than most everyone else, and no one doubted she was smart. It was clear to me that she was the one leading our team. That also explains why she was so intense about it. Saturday morning she caught me sitting, staring at the ocean and yelled at me for not getting ready… despite the game not starting for another 10 hours.

Finally, just before the game started (in case we had a spy), she told us the plan. I didn't like it one bit. "So I'm bait."

"No, you're a distraction. There's a difference," Annabeth told me, but considering her plan involved my death, I wasn't sure I saw the difference.

"Look, Clarisse hates you, but she loves to win as well. I think she's just as likely to go after the flag as she is to go after you. But if she sees you're trying to get her flag, she won't be able to think straight. The sheer audacity of it will make her throw away any plan to attack you. Meanwhile I sneak by and get the flag, and with fifty kids guarding our flag, it's not like anyone will get it."

Okay, I did see the sense to her plan, except, "But if you're focused on getting the flag you won't be able to help me. Your distraction won't work very well if I get slaughtered in a second."

Annabeth considered that for a moment. There must have been some sense in my words, because she called out, "Change of plans. Travis is in charge of the ground defense. Luke is going with Percy."

I sighed. Clearly that was the best I was going to get. At least Luke was the best fighter in the camp, and someone I actually trusted not to stab me in the back. Still, the two of us against the entire Ares cabin… I gulped. Hopefully Annabeth could run really fast and the game would end before we died.

The game began with the sounding of a horn.

Luke looked over at me, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Well, that's our cue." Then he took off running towards the border. Personally, when I followed after him, I wondered why Annabeth thought winning was worth murdering her two closest friend. Still I followed the plan, so what does that say about me?

We made it surprisingly deep into the other team's territory. I knew we had been spotted. (We'd made sure to be spotted). But they let us past, further confirming my theory that Clarisse wanted to enact her revenge personally. Finally I spotted the flag near a pile of rocks we called Zeus's fist.

There was no one around. By all regards, the flag was unguarded, but I didn't believe that for a second. Sure enough, once we stepped out from beneath the canopy of trees, I heard a noise and turned just fast enough to avoid being impaled. Then, we were surrounded.

Ares House was bigger than any of the others. I don't mean in terms of numbers- there actually weren't that many of them- but in terms of size. The youngest among them was only a year older than me, but he was a foot taller, wide as a linebacker, and showing the beginnings of a scruffy beard. The girls weren't much prettier; I'd seen smaller sumo-wrestlers. And of course, biggest and baddest of them all, Clarisse.

"Ah, Clarisse. We could smell you from a mile away. Still can't get that sewer smell out, can you?" Luke taunted. I turned to glare at him. Was it really wise to antagonize her more?

Her siblings weren't yet ready, but Clarisse lunged at me. She didn't fight with a sword, most Greeks didn't, but a big spear. I raised my shield to block it, and was shocked. Literally. Her spear was electric, and the current which ran up my arm caused me to howl in pain and drop my shield.

Luke tried to cover me while I picked my shield up, but the Ares kids were working together. Six of them kept Luke from helping me. When Clarisse attacked, Luke wasn't fast enough. I was nearly skewered. me. Abandoning the shield, I jumped to the side last minute, but her spear managed to graze my shoulder and gods, it hurt.

Somehow, the pain focused my mind. I was angry, angrier than I'd been when she first attacked me for sure. Clarisse was a bully, and she'd gotten what she deserved. If she wanted me to regret that… well, I would make her regret picking on me.

There was no water around, a bad thing for me, but I didn't care. I didn't need water to be a good fighter. For a week I'd trained with Luke, and I let that training guide me now. Riptide was shorted than her spear, but then, Riptide was shorter than Luke's sword as well. I'd learned how to get closer, so close that the longer weapon became useless. It was a terrifying thing to do. Human instinct told you to move away from the crazy person with the pointed weapon, but I had more than human instinct.

I stepped in closer, bringing Riptide up and to the side. She slammed against Clarisse's spear, sending it flying across the clearing. Lucky must have been on my side, because when it landed, it crashed, slamming into the rocks of Zeus's fist and shattering.

I held my breath. I wasn't frightened of Clarisse, not with her spear, and not now that I'd broken it. I was scared because when I looked over at the rocks, I realized the flag wasn't there. Annabeth must have grabbed it already, but she couldn't have gone far. If Clarisse noticed and called off the fight…

Clarisse grabbed my shield from where it had fallen and tried to smash my brains in with it. On the bright side, that meant she hadn't noticed her missing flag. Then again, it also meant I almost died. If Luke hadn't noticed and called out, "Duck!" My brain would have been mush. I managed to duck at just the right second, and the shield scraped the top of my hair.

Then I did something impulsive. The shield was right over me, and I knew Clarisse would try to smash it down. My best bet would have been to duck out to the side, catch her unaware with Riptide, or, better yet, just run away. But I didn't know how to pick my battles. Instead, I headbutted her in the gut.

It was like ramming your head into a solid steel wall. Luckily, she was as surprised by my stupidity as I was. She dropped my shield, stumbling backwards as I fell to the ground dazed. I blinked a few times. The whole world was spinning and my head really, really hurt. But the fight wasn't over. Clarisse took advantage of me while I was down and tried kicking me in the face. I rolled over, grabbing my shield and curling up like a ball beneath it.

When her foot hit the metal, it sounded like a loud gong followed by a string of swears. I peaked out from beneath my shell and saw her howling as she held her foot. I climbed to my feet, shield upon my left arm, Riptide tight in my hand, and approached her. Fury burned in her eyes, and she charged me with two knives from her boots. They glanced harmlessly off my shield, and I brought the tip of Riptide to her chest. "I win."

She didn't seem to care about the sword to her heart. I guess she knew I would never really kill her. She swung at me with her fists, but then the sound of a horn rang out across the woods.

"Ha! We win, loser. You never even got close to our flag," Clarisse spit in my face.

I couldn't help it. I smirked. "Are you sure about that? Why don't you try turning around?"

Clarisse thought I was fooling her, but one of the Ares kids who Luke had knocked to the ground heard me and looked then he howled, "It's gone!"

Clarisse spun, and howled in anger at the missing flag. She probably would have continued trying to kill me, but Chiron wasn't stupid, and came cantering into the clearing just then. I could tell Clarisse was considering accepting any punishment and murdering me anyways. I decided it was best not to tempt her, and moved away.

Though I'll be honest, I wasn't entirely mature about it. As I stepped away I murmured just loud enough for her to hear, "You really do still smell of sewage."


	8. My Dreams Are Like Acid

Chapter 8-My Dreams Are Like Acid

Luke caught me staring at the ocean again. He'd forgotten his toothbrush when going to brush his teeth, a strange thing to forget in my opinion, and came back to find me on my cot, staring out the window at the rolling waves.

It was the end of October. While not a single day at AA had been normal, I was starting to get used to the constant insanity that came from 100 demigods living and learning in one place. Sure, over the past two month I'd been stabbed, set on fire, and (briefly) kidnapped by a nymph, but I'd also made friends, kicked butt at our first swim meet, and gotten a B+ on my Ancient Greek quiz. Life was pretty good. If there was one thing I knew, it was that I truly belonged at Achilles Academy.

But every time I walked along the beach, I knew something was wrong. Maybe it was just me. Maybe it was more than that. I could feel a certain tension beneath the waves, like they were calling to me, and begging me to stay away. Every night I dropped my bluest blueberries into the fire, praying that my father would send some sign. If he wanted to keep me hidden, fine. I didn't need other people to know who he was. I just needed to know myself. I needed to know for certain because the longer I thought about it… Well, I was beginning to worry there was a reason my dad wouldn't claim me. Maybe if he did I would be in trouble… or maybe if he did he would be in trouble.

My mom seemed to think it was a bit of both. Demigods weren't supposed to use phones, even in camp, but at Chiron's prompting I had written her a few letters. The spelling in them was a mess, but she'd figured out what I was saying anyways. I almost wished she'd pretended not to understand my plea for my father's name. But she wouldn't lie to me. She knew who he was. She knew I wanted to know. But she wouldn't tell me. I love you both too much to reveal the truth, Percy. Have faith. When the time comes, you will be reunited. I am certain of it.

"Doesn't it make you angry that he won't claim you?" Luke asked, sitting down next to me, toothpaste in his hand. "Styx, it makes me angry for you!"

I shrugged. I didn't know if it made me angry, not exactly. Usually it just made me squirm. Was my dad embarrassed to claim me? Even at AA I got into way more trouble than everyone else. Maybe he was ashamed of putting his name to my problems. I wouldn't have blamed him- depressing as it sounds.

Now that Luke mentioned it though, I wondered if I should be angry. So what if I was a screwup? I was his screwup. My mom was the most wonderful, most perfect person on the planet. If I had issues- and gods, I had issues- they were his fault. He should take responsibility for his mistake, for me. That would be the godly thing to do. Though I was learning very quickly that the gods weren't always godly. My B+ in Greek was based on an essay about Arachne. Athena was the goddess of wisdom and she'd still gone off the handle. You couldn't expect the gods to act like mature and rational anything.

Thinking about it like that, I got angry. I turned back towards the sea, and muttered, "If my dad doesn't care about me then I don't care about him. Why should I be angry?"

Luke clenched his fist. Unfortunately, he'd forgotten that he was holding a tube of toothpaste. It squirted out, thudding against the window and dripping down until it resembled a frowny-face.

We both broke out into hysterical laughter, and our sullen resentment of fathers was forgotten for the time. A few hours later, though, long after we'd cleaned the window and turned out the lights, I wondered more about Luke's question. Did I resent my dad? No, not really. But should I?

He'd never been there. I knew most demigods had only met their parents once or twice, but that was once or twice more than I'd met mine. He'd offered my mother pearls. Why hadn't he just offered us money? Why hadn't he just shown up, kicked Gabe to the stoop, and given us someplace to live? Even normal dads had to pay child support.

Why hadn't he stepped in every time some monster decided to attack me? The longer I stayed at AA, the more monsters I read about in class, the more I remembered. The snake I strangled as a toddler, that was right out of Hercules. But Hera had sent those snakes after Hercules, so who had sent one after me? And the strange man on the playground in third grade? I wasn't crazy. He only had one eye because he was a cyclops! The time I accidentally sent my 4th grade class for a swim at the aquarium? I'd been panicking because one of the sharks wasn't really a shark at all. I didn't know what the monster was called, but it was ugly. And it had been threatening to eat me, because I could understand sea monsters apparently. And don't even get me started upon the canon last spring. I knew I'd seen something creepy hanging around it; that was why I had gone over to look. Just last week Annabeth had told me about how keres, death spirits, hung around old battlefields looking for trouble. One of them had to have loaded the canon! In the end, it really wasn't my fault after all. None of it was.

But then why hadn't my dad stopped it? I was his son. He was supposed to protect me. Instead, he'd brought me into a dangerous world and said – here you go kid, start fighting - from the moment I was born. It wasn't fair. It was cruel. Luke was right, I had every reason to be angry.

I fell asleep burning with anger, and woke up in the middle of a fiery pit.

Immediately I panicked, turning around, looking for water to put out the flames before they consumed me. I knew I was asleep. I knew I was dreaming. But I knew if you died in your dreams you died in real life. My panic was as real as the danger.

I could feel the heat of the flames, but after a moment of panicking, I realized they were not getting closer. They held their distance, flickering taller, a rainbow of orange, red, and blue. I knew from bonfires at school that blue flames were the hottest, the most dangerous, but I struggled to believe it. Blue reminded me of my mom, of my dad even, and the vast ocean. Maybe that explained why they were so dangerous.

"Who are you?"

The voice which rang out through the cavern was deep, slow, and terrifying. My every thought evaporated. My heart stopped. I couldn't breathe.

I reached to my pants. Unsurprisingly, Riptide wasn't there. This wasn't just a dream, I knew that, but it was a dream. No sword, no matter how magical, could help me here.

It spoke again. I couldn't tell you if it was a shout or a whisper, but it shook me to my core, "Answer me, boy! I sought another and yet your power, your anger, drew me here. Whose child are you?"

I was used to people at school asking me that question. They always were referring to my godly parent, my dad. But anger spiked within me, complemented by my fear. My dad wasn't the parent who mattered. He'd never done anything for me. My mom was the one who'd raised me. My mom was the one who loved me. I was her son, "Sally Jackson!"

I was prepared for the voice to get angry, for the fire to race towards me, burn me alive. Instead it laughed, "You have spirit… the tumult of the sea. Perhaps you are what I need. We shall see."

The dream shifted. Suddenly I was standing along the magical border of the school. Annabeth and Luke sat cross-legged at my feet, looking younger, sad. Annabeth looked right up at me, and said, "I miss you."

I tried to tell her that was silly; she saw me every day. The words wouldn't come out. I could not even move my mouth. I couldn't move anything. I tried to move my arms, but found them stuck out to the side. When I looked, I wanted to scream- my arms had become the branches of a pine tree. I looked down. No, my whole body had become a pine tree.

The world shifted. I wanted to vomit. Suddenly I was standing in a giant hall lined by twelve chairs. No, not chairs, thrones. Somehow I knew I was on Mount Olympus, standing in Zeus's palace. This was the throne room of the gods, but it was empty. The chairs sat bare, and no one was around. Or so I thought.

"Percy? What are you doing here?"

I turned around, and found Luke staring at me. It wasn't the same Luke from my last dream-the scar underneath his eye, that was what had been missing before, why he looked so much younger. Now the scar was back, and for the first time ever, I found myself staring at it. I'd never asked him how he got it. I'd always just assumed it was some monster. Wasn't it always for people like us?

Luke caught me staring, and frowned, "You shouldn't be here, Percy. I'm not… you're not ready for work on this scale. I promise you, when the time comes, I'll tell you everything. We'll do this together. But for now, let me do this for you, and for Thalia and for every half-blood the gods have used and discarded!"

"I don't understand."

Luke smiled. It was such a familiar sight. I remembered how we'd laughed only a few hours before, the toothpaste all over the window, blocking my view of the sea with its frowning face.

"Good. Go back to sleep, Percy. This is for me to deal with."

I tried to obey, but I failed. I willed myself away from Luke, and found myself standing in my mom's apartment. She was sound asleep. The clock read a little past four. Suddenly the door to her room opened, and Gabe came stumbling in. He shouted, "Get up you lazy woman! A man has needs and you hardly fulfill them."

My mom stirred, and the dream shifted once more. I was back in a palace, but this was not on Olympus. A fish swam by, and I realized I was under water. I sucked in my breath- Atlantis. This was the palace of Poseidon. Why was I here?

A beautiful woman sat on a throne, attendants brushing her hair. When she looked up, I realized this was the woman I'd seen off Montauk, the one who'd told me to keep the pearls. But who was she? A friend of my father's? His sister or daughter? Knowing what I did of the gods, she could even be his wife.

I don't think she saw me. Her eyes went right through where I stood, but she started to sing softly. The tune was light, like a lullaby, but there were no children around to sing to, not that I saw at least. Still, her soft voice was enrapturing, and I listened more to the echo of it than to her words,

"White may pass through hands most mortal, but Iris's child is Amphitrite's portal.  
Blue shall always bring you home, but gold returns you to the foam.  
Red to combat Hecate's magic, but pink contains the springs pelagic.  
Orange is for Achilles' haven, but when fleeing death, the pearl is raven.  
For Theseus in purple I cloaked, my envy he did not invoke.  
So listen with care my husband's child, those born of the sea are always wild."

Then a noise, like a sigh great enough to tear apart whole cities, interrupted her song. I was torn between staying this woman and going to see what it was, but my curiosity won out. I followed the noise, walking (or was it swimming) towards its source.

I found myself outside a great room, inside, a giant marble altar, piled high with offerings. Standing next to it was a man. He didn't look like much, a surfer from California, perhaps, or a Hawaiian tourist. Then he turned around. I couldn't quite make out his face. The water seemed to ripple across it, blurring it. But I knew without a doubt that this was my father.

I didn't know what to do. I considered yelling at him… and I considered dropping to my knees and begging for answers. Instead I did nothing. For a second, he did nothing either. But then he seemed to smile, and raised something in his hand to his mouth. Only as he ate it did I realize what it was- a blueberry. Then he waved his hand.

I woke up. Luke was shaking me, the alarm blaring in the background. "Percy, if you want to shower you need to go now."

I needed to shower, but my heart longed to return to my dream. My father had been there, so close I could hear his sigh. I needed to go back. I needed to wait for the currents to settle so I could see his face, ask him his name, know what it was he wanted of me.

Vaguely I remembered that there had been other dreams as well, but they seemed utterly insignificant compared to the dream of my father. I told Luke, "I'll shower tonight. Just a few more minutes."

I closed my eyes, willing sleep to fall back over me. But when I fell back asleep, I was no longer in Atlantis. I simply stood in front of my English class, reading from a PowerPoint. Everyone was sniggering, and when I looked down, I realized why. I had on no pants, just a few leaves covering my waist.

I was glad when Luke woke me up again saying I would be late for class.

I was irritable the rest of the morning. I hardly heard a word my teachers said, instead sketching in the corner of my notebook every little detail I could remember of my father. Unfortunately, I wasn't a very good drawer, and I just couldn't seem to remember his face.

Then Annabeth asked me what I was doing and I snapped. At that point, people stopped trying to talk to me. I supposed that was a good thing, but it left me feeling worse.

We did have a presentation in English. I had my pants on, luckily, but as I tried to explain the symbolism of trees in "Where the Red Fern Grows", I couldn't read my own notes. "The psychic trees…the sagamore trees…" A few of my classmates started to giggle, and I got angry. "Billy likes trees, okay! And they represent nature's answers. Or maybe he's just having an affair with a dryad. The book never says!"

People kept laughing, but at least now they weren't laughing at me. My teacher, of course, wasn't laughing, and raised a brow. I just sat back in my seat and laid my head upon the desk.

For open-block we were supposed to be shooting with the head of Apollo House, Irene. I just groaned. I was bad enough at archery on a good day, but now that I couldn't focus… my first few arrows way overshot the target, landing harmlessly in the woods. Then I somehow managed to drop the arrow just as I released the string, dry-firing my bow, the one thing we were never supposed to do. The force of the motion caused the entire shaft of the bow to shatter and explode in my hand.

Everyone closest to me dropped to the ground. A chunk of wood impaled itself into my arm. I howled and cursed; my mom would have killed me if she heard what I said. Irene was furious, refusing me any nectar even as she pulled out the wood and bandaged my arm. I protested that I hadn't meant to do it, but it didn't much matter to the girl whose bow I'd broken.

As lunch rolled around, it seemed the whole school was talking about 'Percy Jackson's meltdown'. From the head table Chiron looked at me nervously. Next to him, Mr. D glared at me. I felt like an idiot and a freak. I knew I needed to get my head on straight, but as I looked at the golden brazier before me… I scooped up everything blue we had and dumped it in, begging my father to just show his face.

Once I sat back down at the Hermes table, Luke came over. "Celia, switch places with me, will you. Percy and I need to talk."

Celia and the rest of my grade had had front-row seats to my crappy day, so she was all too happy to oblige. As Luke stared me down, I picked nervously at my food. Luke was odd like that. Most of the time he was just my friend, an older, cooler friend, yeah, but a friend. Now he was in Head-of-Hermes-House mode. Sitting in front of me wasn't the teenager who laughed at toothpaste on the window. This was the guy personally responsible for the well-being of half the school who'd be shoved into his house because their own parents didn't want them.

"Look, Percy, about last night, you really can't let it bother you like this," Luke sighed, rubbing his temple.

I knew my brain was fuzzy, but I was extra confused. How did Luke know I'd dreamt of my father? I hadn't told him. I knew that. Had I been talking in my sleep?

"I don't know what brought you there, but frankly, it's none of your business. This one is up to me. Once it's done, I promise, I'll find a place for you, but nothing can happen until at least Christmas. You need to keep your mouth shut, and not look so upset."

I blinked, and cocked my head. Finally, I managed to say something, "Luke, what are you talking about?"

Luke paused, studying me. "You don't remember coming into my dream?"

I vaguely remembered something about Luke, but I'd been so focused on my father that I hadn't bothered to remember what else I'd dreamt of. I figured I should tell Luke as much, "No. I can do that?"

"Yeah, all powerful demigods can… but if that's not what's bugging you, what is?"

I looked around. No one else was paying attention to us. Good. For some reason I didn't want anyone else knowing I had dreamt of my father. It felt important they didn't, but I trusted Luke. "I was in Atlantis, in Poseidon's palace. There was an altar with all kinds of sacrifices on it, but next to it was my dad. I know it was him because he ate the blueberries I offered to him yesterday! He really is a courtesan of Poseidon. He has to be."

Luke didn't seem particularly excited for me. He rubbed his face, touching the scar beneath his eye gently, then grabbing his necklace. It was something he wore every day- most kids did. At the end of each year you got a bead for not dying. But Luke was a senior and had more beads than most. The first one upon his necklace was a green pine tree. He gripped it tight, and looked nervously around him.

"Percy, don't tell anyone else what you saw, okay? It is very important that you don't know. If your dad really does work for Poseidon… well he shouldn't be eating off Poseidon's altar. He'd get in big trouble with his boss. And if he doesn't work for Poseidon then that means… well it just means trouble. The other gods will kill you if you're not careful, do you understand me? Promise you won't try to dream of your dad again, or tell anyone what you saw."

I gulped. Sure, people had told me before that I might be safer not knowing who my dad was, but normally Luke told me that was crap, just an excuse by which everyone could lie to me. But suddenly he looked really scared.

I wondered if he suspected what I did. There was something about the way Luke had said 'if he doesn't work for Poseidon'. Annabeth was too frightened to voice her suspicions, but I knew she'd had them from the start. I had too. Long before I'd spoken of Triton or Nerites I'd asked if Poseidon could be my dad. But that's impossible, they said. Poseidon doesn't have kids anymore. He can't.

But if he did… well that would just about explain why everyone seemed so worried about me. If Poseidon was my dad even when he wasn't supposed to have kids, the other gods would be furious. They'd punish me. Of that I knew enough myths to be certain.

For the first time, I hoped my dad wouldn't reveal himself. And I nodded, unwilling to speak aloud even to Luke our shared suspicion. He seemed to relax a bit then, and, after a second, he even smiled.

"What?" I asked. How could he go from terrified to smirking so quickly? My heart was still pounding.

"Your dad wouldn't be a courtesan of Poseidon, Percy. He'd be a courtier. Courtesans are very different."

(No, I won't tell you what the difference is. Google it yourself if you want to, but only with parent permission. But yeah, I'm glad my dad isn't that.)

Somehow, despite the dangerous undercurrents to our conversation, I felt better after my conversation with Luke. It certainly helped though that I took a little detour to the beach before swim practice.

Even as I approached the water, I could hear it calling me. The voice seemed louder than ever. I kicked off my sneakers, climbing into the foam. I didn't need to go very deep to feel infinitely better. I pulled off the bandage, and watched as the cut upon my arm healed. A few seconds later and you'd never even know I'd exploded a bow. Every sign of it had been washed away.

I looked around, checking to see if anyone was close enough to hear me. I saw an Aphrodite girl flirting with a son of Demeter down the shore, but they paid me no note. I could just barely hear her giggles carried on the wind.

I turned back to the sea. I noticed a starfish on the beach near me, struggling to get back into the water. I grabbed it, tossing it back in to safety. Then I just stood there, watching the waves roll, trying to figure out what to say.

Finally, I just let my impulsive side take over, and spoke without thinking at all, "I'm glad you like the blueberries… My mom and I have a joke about blue food. My stepdad, Gabe, he said blue food didn't exist so Mom… she just had to prove him wrong. Gabe's a jerk. He stinks, literally. I don't get how Mom can go from a god to him. I don't get how you could let her be with someone like him. Not if you cared about her. And you had to care about her. I exist. I exist and I'm not supposed to. So you had to love her. If you didn't… well then why risk it? Right? You had to love her…

"Look, Poseidon," my heart caught in my throat. "Poseidon, if you really are my dad… I get it. I get why you won't claim me. I know the gods will punish me just for existing and maybe, maybe if you keep me guessing, you can keep them guessing as well. So fine. Don't claim me. I want to hate you for it but I just can't. Maybe you're a jerk too. Maybe you're just doing the best you can. And I get that. I'm… I'm just doing the best I can as well.

"But if you're not Poseidon. If my very existence isn't going to get me killed… well then own up. Say something, please. Don't leave me like this, guessing and scared, dreaming up monsters that aren't even there. Because trust me, there are plenty that are. I don't care if you're scared of your wife or your boss or whoever. Be a man. If you can't be that much, then you're really nothing at all."

I stared at the sea for a moment longer, wondering if I was truly done. But the words had tumbled out before I could stop them, and now they left me empty, dry. For the first time, standing by the sea didn't make me feel better. It just made me feel worse.

I turned and padded back towards school. Let my father hear my words and take them to heart or not. There was nothing left for me to do. I had swim practice.


	9. Demigods Don't Need Permission Slips (Or Permission)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for not updating in forever. I just moved into my first apartment and it's sort of a dump so I've been busy.

**Chapter 9-Demigods Don't Need Permission Slips… Or Permission**

Look, I'm not good with time. Maybe it's because Kronos is the Lord of Time and he and I… Well, you'll see. Whatever the case I'm bad with time.

The first half of the year flew by. The leaves changed, covering up pits and traps perfect for capture the flag. I dominated at swim meets, and only got out of the pool dry once. Most importantly, my A+ in sword fighting countered out my F in archery, and for the first time instead of my D- average, I was a solid C+ student. My mom probably thought it was a mistake when she got my report card in the mail. I certainly had.

But life went on, and suddenly I only had one more day until I went home. Maybe it was weird for demigods to celebrate Christmas, but I was just glad for the chance to see my mom. So much had changed these last few months, but I knew she hadn't.

Granted, a part of me was nervous about returning home. Chiron had cornered me two weeks before, remind me that I would attract monsters the moment I left school. We'd had a couple incidents during outings for swim meets, after all, and everyone admitted they were my fault. At least during those we all knew how to fight. Even Kerry and Silena, daughters of Aphrodite, had shown no fear when a cyclops tore the doors off our van. But my mom was mortal. If something happened… well I worried I couldn't protect her. That was why, originally, I'd said I was going to stay at school for Christmas.

But then my mom being awesome sent me a reply so wonderful I couldn't help but change my mind.

**Percy, I love you, and I can see how you are finally flourishing. It makes me so proud to see you find a place where you belong. I will miss having you home but so long as you are happy, so am I. Don't live your life for anyone else, not even for me.**

She was trying to say it was okay I wanted to stay at school, even if it meant not seeing her, but her selflessness awoke something within me. I didn't want to live my life because I was scared of monsters. I wanted to see my mom, and I was going to see my mom. Anything that tried to stop me… well I did have an A+ in sword fighting. I would at least be able to defend us long enough to escape.

My mother's joy after I'd told her that was just as real as her acceptance of my first letter, but I certainly preferred it. Just the thought of going home to her made me grin. We could never do much on Christmas. Gabe always found a way to ruin whatever fun we had, but on Christmas morning my mom would make blue pancakes, and that was worth anything- even Gabe.

"Now Percy, what is the moral of this story?"

I blinked. I'd gotten better at paying attention in class, (usually Annabeth kicked me if she saw me dozing off), but I'd been too busy thinking about my mom and break to hear a word of what Ms. Jett was saying. Luckily, we had a handout. I glanced down at it. The Greek didn't seem to be clicking in my head, but I did see the words 'Hermes, lyre, Apollo, cattle' and remembered something Connor Stole had said after he stole everything I owned a few weeks back. Apparently Hermes stole cows from Apollo the very day he was born, and only got away with it by inventing the lyre. (Though that was not why he was the god of liars, strangely enough, but why he was the god of herdsmen.)

"Uh… That if you steal from the gods you better be able to do something cool to make up for it?"

Besides me, I saw Annabeth roll her eyes, but my other classmates, Connor in particular, seemed to think it was a pretty good moral. Ms. Jett, however, sided with Annabeth- stupid daughters of Athena.

"I think not. Hermes, after all, is a god himself. If Percy was to steal from a god, I doubt he'd get much of a chance to do 'something cool'. Grease stains on the carpet rarely do… Drew, do you have anything to say?"

The daughter of Aphrodite sneered, like the prospect of actually having to participate in class was beneath her. "Honey, the moral is obvious. Right Dylan. Tell her."

Dylan, who would have probably stolen his dad's cows himself if Drew asked, nodded in agreement, "Oh yeah… Right, the moral… Music is better than cows anyways?"

Ms. Jett did not seem pleased with our performance, but I didn't feel bad. After all, she was the one actually trying to teach last period before Christmas break. "No. While that was Apollo's ultimate decision, that is not the moral. The moral is that our natural flaws may land us in difficult positions, but that our natural gifts can always get us back out. Connor, can you tell me…"

She stared out over us. Besides me, Connor had fallen asleep. (He and his brother, Travis, had been up all night making sure the rest of Hermes House was up as well 'for fun'. Their fun, not ours.) She sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Alright, I give up. Annabeth and Nyssa- wake Connor up, I want to talk to you for a second about the trip. The rest of you… just talk until the bell."

I didn't know what 'trip' she was referring to, but the others clearly did. Once they woke Connor up, the four of them stepped into the hall for a few minutes. When they came back, Annabeth and Connor looked pleased, which made me certain that I was missing out on something. Normally if one of them was happy, well the other probably wasn't. Not that they didn't like each other but… well they were just very different people.

I leaned over to Annabeth's desk, "What was that about?"

"We're going to Olympus for the winter solstice. I'm glad. Chiron was talking about only taking the upperclassmen but with all the gods in residence at once… it will be incredible!"

A flinch of jealousy spiked within me. Annabeth got to go to Mount Olympus and meet all the gods? How come I didn't get to meet the gods? If I could go maybe I could get my dad to…

I cut off the thought there. Over the months, I'd grown certain Poseidon was my dad. I was infinitely more powerful than Celia, the daughter of a minor sea god, which meant my dad couldn't be minor. There was a tiny chance of my dad being Triton, but I was certain it was Poseidon. Whatever oath he'd made, he'd broken it, and I existed. Now he wouldn't claim me because… well because he wanted to protect me I guessed. Or he wanted to protect himself. That bit was a little harder to clarify, though I liked to believe it was the first. So I got why he wouldn't claim me. I knew it was better that way, for both of us.

Still, it was easy to know something, and much harder to believe it. I did get why Poseidon wouldn't claim me. I just wanted him to anyways. It hurt. No matter how 'okay' I said it was, it hurt to know my dad was too ashamed to admit I existed. Besides, everyone at school already knew it. I wasn't the only one with eyes and the 'water powers' were a big give-away. The other gods would probably figure it out sooner or later. Wouldn't it be better if Poseidon let the news come out on his own terms?

Annabeth and I had talked about it a few times over the past few months. She stubbornly refused to admit that my dad had to be Poseidon, but I think that was only because Athena and Poseidon didn't get along. Still, she understood why I wanted to be claimed even if it might cause me trouble. She'd been trying to get her mom's attention her whole life. No wonder she was excited to go to Olympus; she'd get the chance to see her mom. So I think she got exactly why I was disappointed. That's why she said, "It's a consolation prize, really. Chiron is only taking us to Olympus because we don't have mortal parents to go home to. It's not like we're going to have personal time with the Olympians, and besides, minor gods don't get to come, so your dad wouldn't even be there."

Poseidon's not a minor god, I thought, but I didn't bother arguing. A moment later, the bell rang, and we all went our separate ways. A lot of kids were being picked up right after classes, but my mom had to work, so I wasn't leaving until the next morning. I decided to wander over to the training field and practice with Luke. I'll admit it- I was annoyed about the Olympus thing. And hitting things with swords always made me feel better.

Sure enough, Luke was there, just finishing up with the 8th grade. Clarisse sneered and cursed when she passed me, but she didn't try anything. Since our first few encounters she'd been all talk an no action. She was scared of me, which didn't make much sense to me considering I was twelve, but I didn't mind the peace it brought. Though at that moment I wouldn't have minded a challenge. Anything to get out the anger.

Luke knew me well enough not to ask questions. Instead we trained, working until our arms ached and sweat poured down our faces. I felt significantly better at that point, but after we showered, I remembered that Luke never went home, so he'd be going to Olympus as well. Then I was just bitter. "How come you didn't tell me that if I stayed over break I would get to go to Olympus."

Luke paused, tossing his towel in the laundry. He looked strangely nervous, though I didn't get why, and didn't turn to face me when he answered, "I didn't know if you could. Chiron hadn't decided until today."

"But you knew it was a possibility, and you knew I was trying to decide. You could have said something. I love my mom, but if I could just talk to my dad…"

Luke turned, scowling, "You should appreciate your mom more. From what you've said, she's pretty great. She certainly loves you more than your dad ever could. It's better that you don't go. You'll only be disappointed if you do meet your dad. Trust me."

"But you'll see your dad, won't you? And you've met him before."

"Yeah, that's how I know you'll be disappointed."

I frowned. Just because Hermes was a disappointment that didn't mean my dad was too. I couldn't come up with a very good response though. As I wrung out my hair I just muttered, "At least I would know."

Luke sighed, loudly. I saw him debating letting it go, but finally he came and sat down next to me. "Look, Percy, it's just not healthy to let your hopes get too high. Sooner or later the gods always let their children down. But I have a good feeling about the upcoming year. I think things are going to change for kids like us. And then it won't matter who your dad is ever again. But for now, just be glad you have a home to go to. Let your mom love you while you can, alright?"

Luke was probably my best friend. The unfortunate downside of your best friend being significantly older than you- there are times when they go full-on 'adult'. Luke didn't need to tell me to appreciate my mom. Of course I appreciated her. That didn't mean though that I didn't want to know more about my dad. Besides, Luke didn't know everything. He didn't know my dad would disappoint me, and he didn't know things would change. He was just saying things to make me feel better, like adults always did, and it was utterly frustrating.

So yeah, I grumbled. You would have too, "Yeah, whatever. I'll listen to the guy who ran away age nine. He definitely knows everything there is about family."

I felt bad immediately. Even if he was being 'adult' about it, Luke was just trying to be a good friend, and I was just being mean. But you can't take something back once you've said it. Trust me, I've spent my whole life trying. The words were out there, my bitterness too, and I couldn't change that.

Yet instead of getting angry at me, Luke just went still. When he spoke, his voice was low, cold, frightening. He sounded almost like a different person. "Percy, I know enough. I've seen enough. All the gods are exactly the same. You want to know why I ran away? My mom… she wasn't right. She never was. I was just nine before I really got it. And you want to know why she was like that- because of Hermes. He drove her crazy, then he dumped us. When I ran away, he didn't help me. He couldn't even bring me here on time, and that was his job. It wasn't until Thalia turned twelve that we even knew safe places existed, and little good it did her."

Thalia. I'd heard the name from both Luke and Annabeth. Plus there was a tree on the hill that everyone called 'Thalia's tree', but I'd never actually asked about her. "What happened to her?"

Luke laughed, a cold, pained laugh. "The gods Percy, it's always the gods. One day I go out to get supplies and when I come back Thalia tells me my dad dropped in, gave her a letter inviting her here, and disappeared before I got back. He didn't even say anything about me. He didn't offer us any protection. But Annabeth was only seven, and the longer we spent on the road, the more dangerous it was getting. We decided we had no choice but to pray this place really existed. It took us weeks to get here, and by the time we did, we had a hoard of monsters on our trail.

"You see, Thalia's dad was Zeus. He'd broken his oath, but Thalia was the one the other gods punished. We would have all been eaten if she hadn't sacrificed herself, died so I could get Annabeth to safety. And how did Zeus reward her? Did he let her die in peace, move on to Elysium? Did he save her? No. He turned her into a tree, so she'll never know peace, and she can remind every half-blood who passes through this school that in the end, we're always the ones to pay. And that's how I know that you're better off without your father. Every demigod is, but if you dad really is Poseidon, what happened to Thalia is going to happen to you too. It's best you don't go to Olympus. That's why I didn't tell you."

Just like that, he got up and left, rounding up whoever was still around for dinner. I didn't immediately follow through. Instead I wandered across the house, peering out the window in Celia's room. Sure enough, I could see Thalia's tree standing tall in the distance. My stomach dropped. I remembered Annabeth's words my first day but I'd never believed them. I'd never considered that the tree wasn't just named after Thalia. It really was her. A twelve year old girl, my own age, turned into a tree by her own father as punishment for his sins.

Anger bubbled within me. It was so unfair. Why should the gods just get to run around doing whatever they want without consequences? What was it Ms. Jett had said? If a demigod tried acting like the gods did they'd just end up a grease stain on the carpet. Instead we struggled, we fought, and we died for our parents, and they didn't even have the decency to claim us.

There were eighteen unclaimed campers in Hermes House. Nineteen with me. That was more kids than all the minor gods put together. How was that right? How was that okay? Monsters didn't care whether or not we knew who our parents were. They killed us just the same. Actually, monsters didn't even care if we knew our parents were gods at all. How many half-bloods died before they ever made it to school? Did anyone even know? I was willing to bet a lot. Kids, not even twelve years old, dying for parents they didn't even know. It wasn't unfair. It was cruel. It was sick. It made me burn with anger.

But then I was called down for dinner, and as I took my turn in front of the golden brazier, I still couldn't bring myself to curse the gods as Luke did. Instead, I just said nothing at all, but I kept my blueberries. My dad could have some burnt bread instead, it wasn't like he'd know the difference in the smoke.

I didn't talk to Luke over dinner. Maybe he was avoiding me. Or maybe he was just letting me have time to think. I didn't get very far with my thoughts though. I didn't know what to thing, but I knew how angry I was. That I knew very well.

Just as dinner ended, I felt someone grab my arm. I expected it to be Luke for some reason, but it wasn't. Annabeth stood next to me, looking nervously over at the head table, like she was afraid Chiron or Mr. D would see us together. She hissed, "Come with me."

My curiosity got the best of me, and I followed her from the dining hall. Once we were alone, she pulled a Yankees hat from her pocket and slapped it against my chest. Now, don't get me wrong, I love the Yankees. They're the best, and their 26 World Series Championships prove it. But I didn't get why Annabeth was acting like she was doing me a giant favor giving me this hat. I had like three in my room at home, and one stuffed somewhere in my suitcase. If you live in New York City long enough, eventually you'll end up with a collection (and you won't even remember buying them).

Was this a Christmas gift? If so, I was a bit embarrassed. I hadn't thought to get Annabeth anything. We were friends but, well, she was a girl. It was different with girls. And I hadn't bought Luke anything either for that matter. But I was pretty sure this wasn't a Christmas present. It wasn't wrapped, for one, and Annabeth wouldn't look so serious giving me a Christmas present.

"Ah, thanks?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes, "It's magical, Seaweed Brain. A gift from my mom- my only gift actually, so you better not lose it. Put it on and you're invisible. You live in the city anyways. There is no reason you can't come with us to Olympus tomorrow. I'm sick of listening to you mope. If there are answers to be had, you deserve them."

I could have kissed Annabeth. (No! Not literally. Eww.) Still, I was overwhelmed with joy, and completely forgot that I was mad at gods. It was hard to be angry at my dad for not claiming me when I knew, I just knew, that he'd be forced to once he saw me. It was so close I could taste it…and it tasted like chocolate chip cookies.

"Thank you."

Annabeth shrugged, "Yeah, well, you owe me one. Now get back there before anyone notices, and make sure Luke doesn't see the hat. He knows what it does and will stop you. He's worried about you, but I think you deserve the chance to prove yourself. I think we all do."

It was hard for me to understand Annabeth feeling like she needed to prove herself to anyone. She was a million times smarter than the rest of us, and good in a fight as well. I was certain Athena couldn't help but be proud of her. But then, Annabeth had also lived full-time at school since she was seven because her mortal family hated her. Maybe Luke was right and I did need to appreciate my mom as well. Demigods had two parents, and most of the time it seemed like their couldn't please either.

* * *

 

That night, I had a dream. I was in a field surrounded by red cows. They seemed pleasant enough. A few looked up at me, but then went back to munching on the grass. I sighed in relief; it was always nice when something thought grass tasted better than me.

Then, one of the cow farted, and flames surged out of its butt. Forget having a stick up your butt- these cows seemed to have flame throws! I decided that even if they liked grass, I was going to give them a wide-berth.

Beyond the cattle, I stumbled upon a giant crab, and standing next to it, Luke. He didn't seem to notice me, though I was only standing a few feet away. Somehow that was the thing I found the weirdest. Not the flame-farting cows, or the giant crab. Not even when I realized the crab was talking.

Its voice was deep, too deep. I don't know how I knew giant crabs shouldn't sound like that, but I did. Maybe I just knew giant crabs weren't supposed to talk. But it was more than that. The voice wasn't its own. It was dark, chilling, and a voice I knew. I couldn't remember from where. I certainly didn't remember having seen a giant crab before. But I knew the voice. I could never forget something so terrifying.

"You waver."

Luke's lips trembled. Anger or fear, I couldn't tell, but his voice was firm. "No, I am prepared."

"And the boy? Is he prepared?"

I stopped walking, going very still. They couldn't see me, of that I was certain,  but I also knew they were talking about me. It sent chills down the spine.  I didn't want this voice thinking about me, I'll tell you that.

Luke didn't appear to like it either. Now he did waver. "We can't be certain we need him. He hasn't been claimed and I don't think.."

"Correct, you don't think, Son of Hermes. You obey," Luke cringed at the reference to his father. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. But he didn't rebuke the voice. That scared me more than anything, because it meant Luke was scared. He would have objected otherwise.

"His power has drawn my gaze. A child of the eldest gods must not oppose me. If he does, he shall have to be disposed of."

Luke looked as frightened as I felt. There weren't many ways to take 'disposed of' after all. I'd seen enough mob movies to know exactly what I was seeing. This was that scene. The scene where 'the guy's' loyalties were tested. Where he had to choose which side he was really on. Except if he chose wrong, I was the one getting killed.

Luke clenched his fist tight enough his nails dug into his skin, but he answered firmly, "Percy trusts me. He knows I am just looking out for him. When he learns the truth, he will side with me. I am certain of it. The gods have never done him any favors."

I wanted to call out, make Luke hear me and ask what he was talking about, but my dream shifted before I could. Suddenly I was in a familiar place. Even in a dream, it made me smile to be at the cabin. Montauk. My favorite place in the world. Peace rushed over me.

My heart began to settle. I was still frightened by what I'd seen, but already it felt distant. The memories were slipping out of my head. I knew it was important I remembered. Luke had been doing something… no… he'd been talking to someone? Maybe? Had he been talking to me? It was hard to remember. It didn't feel real anymore. Only the cabin felt real, which was bad, because I knew it was just a dream.

A baby's cry distracted me. I'd never spent much time around babies, never wanted to. The sound of babies crying, I swear there is nothing as stressful as that. Immediately the peace of the cabin disappeared. I frowned, wandering towards the sound of the screaming, though I was tempted to go far, far away.

The noise led me into the cabin's main bedroom, where my mom always slept when we were here. To my surprise, she was in there, sound asleep on the bed. She looked younger than usual, and her hair seemed longer, lacking any of the gray which now streaked it. For a moment I wondered why, and then I smacked myself for being stupid. Duh she looks younger. You're still a baby!

It was obvious the crying baby was me. So far as I knew, my mom hadn't ever brought another baby to the cabin. Just me. I'd been born there, not that I remembered that. Obviously I didn't remember being born.

The crying continued, my crying continued, and I wondered why my mom didn't wake up. Then I did the smart thing and actually looked over where my crib was. It was clear why I was crying; I wasn't alone.

The guy holding me was gorgeous. Don't take that wrong, I mean, he was a guy and, well, not my type, but still, even another guy could admit he was gorgeous. He seemed to glow, almost like the sun itself. His skin was deeply tanned, but not a wrinkle upon it. His eyes were bright, his hair golden blonde, pulled back into a man-bun.

In a way, he almost reminded me of Luke. That thought made me remember for a second that I'd just seen Luke, though I couldn't remember how. The thought disappeared as soon as it came.

The man was a god. I didn't know which god, but I knew that. There was no other explanation for why my mother would sleep through my crying. No other explanation for how he'd be there, holding me. I looked tiny, a single tuft of black hair on my head, my face pink and wrinkly. How old was I? I didn't know enough about babies to know if I was two days or two months old, but I was certainly tiny. It was odd, looking at yourself as a baby. I wouldn't recommend it.

Instead I looked at the god, my father. I knew he had to be my father. Why else would he be there? Surely none of the other gods knew about me when I was an infant. So far as I knew, the only gods I'd ever met were my father and Mr. D. This was not Mr. D. So he had to be my father. We didn't look much alike though. Nothing about him reminded me of myself at all, except maybe his frown. He was frowning as he looked at me, and it reminded me of how I sometimes looked in the mirror.

"You are going to make a whole mess of things, aren't you?" the god, my father, whispered. My heart dropped. Certainly those were not the words I'd ever wanted to hear from my father, though they weren't really unexpected either.

"Two days old, and you're interrupting my sleep. And that's hard, because I don't sleep. But how is a man supposed to keep the sun on time when all he hears is crying? I should save us all some trouble and turn you into a snail. I would rather turn your father into a snail, but I don't think I could get away with that."

Wait? What? My mind spun. This man wasn't my father then? But he was clearly a god, so why had a god come to see me as a baby if he wasn't my father? He couldn't be telling the truth. Sure my crying was annoying, but it couldn't have attracted the attention of a god, could it?

The god smirked, and laid me back down. I stopped crying, but continued to fuss, reaching up towards him. "Can't say I blame you for crying. But they'll do you no good. If tears could stop prophecies, I would have been out of a job a long time ago."

"You shouldn't be here."

I turned the same time the god did. Suddenly, we weren't alone. Standing in the doorway was a man I swore I'd seen before. I supposed I had, when I was a baby. I don't know how I knew this was a memory and not just a dream, but I did. That meant some part of me must have remembered this after all.

"I can go where I would like, Uncle. You on the other hand. You should definitely not be here."

The other man (who I was certain was my father for real this time) looked both annoyed, and cowed. He knew what he was doing was wrong, but he didn't like this younger(?) god pointing that out. I knew that was how he felt because of his expression. I got the same expression whenever I was in such a situation.

"Zeus is hardly one to talk. I do believe his girl is what, five now? She shall be sixteen before Percy is old enough for Chiron's school."

The younger god looked back over at me. I'd stopped reaching up to him and was instead trying to suck on my own foot. Yet I don't think my stupidity was why this god frowned, "No. She won't."

My father stilled. "You're wrong."

The younger god turned back. He was smirking, and raised a brow, but though he tried to look humorous, there was a certain sadness to his eyes. It made me feel a dizzy and sick to see. But it disappeared after a moment, and he laughed,

"'Oh, definitely.

Apollo is always right.'

Who said such a thing?

Dr. Harrington

Classics PH.D. "

My father frowned, "That's not a haiku."

"It's a Tanaka. I am the god of poetry; I can do more than just haikus."

Silence fell upon them for a second. I would never have guessed that bad and obscure poetry could end conversation so quickly, but clearly it could.

Finally, the younger god, Apollo I was pretty sure, shrugged and started towards the door. "Look, I don't want to be in the room when my father finds out, so I'm certainly not about to tell him, but just remember, Hades is now the only one who's kept his oath. How do you think that's going to go over? If you really want to spare him pain, I would say your goodbyes now. The next time he sees you… Well, let's just say it's going to be bad. For all of us."

Apollo disappeared out the door. I was so busy wondering why he hadn't just poof-ed away that I almost missed my dad walking over to me. Well not me, me, baby me, but same. He stood over my cradle, and I stopped trying to eat my foot. Once more I reached up, trying to get him to acknowledge me. But my father didn't do as I hoped. He just continued to stare at me, face blank, for a long time. My attempts grew more desperate, and I began to whimper and flail. Finally I must have broken his resolve. He smiled softly, a warm bright smile, the one I'd remember my whole life when thinking of my father. Then he reached down, touched my forehead and said, "Sleep."

I woke up. Sitting up, I looked around Luke and my room. The sun was just beginning to rise, Apollo beginning his race across the sky. I frowned. I'd been dreaming about Apollo, hadn't I? Already it was getting hard to remember. My father's face however, that I knew I wasn't going to forget.

I climbed off my bed, checking to make sure Annabeth's cap was where I'd stashed it the night before. Sure enough, it was. I smiled to myself. I knew what my dad looked like, and in a few hours, I'd be standing before him again. He couldn't deny me any longer. Apollo was the god of prophecy, but I didn't need to be his son to predict that by the end of the day, my father would have claimed me.

If only I hadn't been so right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 00% honesty, the Apollo thing got thrown in the last minute because my classics professor actually said , "Oh definitely, Apollo is always right" the day I wrote this and I couldn't resist.


	10. Annabeth's Mom is Definitely Scarier Than She Is

Chapter 10- Annabeth's Mom Is Scarier than Her

My mom wasn't happy when I told her I needed to be dropped off at the Empire State Building.

I suppose she knew what was there. Sure it's possible that she was just annoyed that I was ditching her the moment I got home, but that's not really my mom. She didn't mind if I went and did my own thing. She minded if she thought I would be in danger. So when I casually mentioned stopping at the Empire State building, I knew her silence wasn't just because she didn't want to sit in traffic.

"Percy, what's this about?"

One of the things I love about my mom- she always gives me a chance to explain. She treated me like an adult, or at least like someone with a brain in their head, (which was debatable if you asked my teachers.)

In response, I always tried to be honest with my mom. I won't pretend I always told her everything, because I didn't, but I tried not to lie to her. And in this case, I decided that if I deserved to know the truth about my father, she deserved to know the truth about this. "All the gods meet there for the Winter solstice. A group from school are taking a field trip there and I want to go."

Okay, it was most of the truth, at least. Like I said, I was more comfortable with omission than lies.

She pursed her lips, and carefully said, "Your school didn't send me anything about this."

Inside, I was sweating. I knew I needed to go to Olympus. Needed to confront my father. But if my mom told me 'no', I wasn't sure I had it in me to disobey her. It's hard to disobey someone you know only want what's best for you. That was why I just needed her to agree.

"Well, not all the parents know about the gods. So they can't just send out permission slips for a visit to Mount Olympus."

Silence for a moment more. We were approaching the city at this point. The path to our apartment and the Empire State Building would diverge quickly enough. But I didn't push my mom. I gave her a chance to think about what I was saying.

"If I told you your father's name now, would you still want to go?"

I almost said 'no', but stopped myself. Honestly, it wasn't true. I knew my dad was Poseidon. The facts were impossible to deny; the water powers had kinda given it away. Sure, there was a chance I was wrong, but I didn't think I was. This wasn't about figuring out who my dad was, not mostly, at least. It was about making my dad notice me. He didn't even need to claim me. I just wanted to remind him I existed at all. From what Luke said, our parents desperately needed little reminders like that.

"Yes, I would. Mom, I need to see him. You keep saying that I can't live my life for someone else, so don't ask me not to go. I need to do this."

She bit her lip, but slowly nodded. "Alright Percy. If you're certain this is what you want, I will drop you off downtown."

I've explained how awesome my mom, is right? Well even if I have, I know I haven't said it enough. She was actually the coolest mom ever.

We'd left AA the same time the kids taking the field trip did, and I caught sight of them climbing out of a van. Luke was in the lead, a backpack slung over his shoulder. Annabeth chattered behind him. I couldn't hear what she was saying, but I'll bet it had something to do with architecture. Maybe she was explaining how mortals didn't notice some three-hundred floors to the building. Now that I would have liked to hear.

"They're right there," I told my mom. She quickly pulled over, and let me go. The worry in her eyes bothered me, but I put on a bright smile for her sake and said, "I'll be home tomorrow. I promise."

I hadn't mentioned that I needed to sneak in invisible, so if she was surprised when I put on a baseball cap and disappeared… Well, I wouldn't blame her.

You would think it would be easier getting through NYC while invisible. It's not. You couldn't risk stepping into the road because you were guaranteed to get run over, and no one even tried to make room for you on the sidewalk. I ended up jostling through a bunch of very confused tourists to catch up with the kids from AA. I fell in the back. Annabeth at one point paused and turned around, probably wondering whether-or-not I'd made it. I wished I could get through to give her some sort of sign it had worked, but Clarisse was standing right in my path, and she wouldn't hesitate to clobber me. Invisible or not, she'd know it was me. I swear Clarisse was like monsters; she could just smell her victims.

Chiron wasn't there. I wondered if for some reason he wasn't supposed to go to Olympus, or maybe he just trusted Luke and the other heads-of-house to keep the kids inline. There weren't that many of them, twenty-five tops. That made sense. Most people would rather visit their mortal parent than their godly one. The only kids who stayed at school year-round were those unfortunate enough to have mortal parents who somehow stunk more than their godly ones.

(For a second, I even felt bad for Clarisse. I'd never stopped to think about her mortal mom, but she had to be bad or Clarisse would go home. I didn't really want to think about that too much though. If she knew I was pitying her… well she already wanted me dead.)

Luke scanned the lobby, as if looking for threats, but then went up to the receptionist. He handed the man something which made his eyes bulge, but I head the receptionist say, "You'll have to make multiple trips. And don't let any tourists in the elevator with you!"

The second bit wasn't very difficult. Few people will willingly place themselves near a bunch of unsupervised teenagers. Nearby, I heard an old woman say, "Someone should tell them all to tuck their shirts in."

I looked down to see if my shirt was tucked in. Then I remembered I was invisible, so she wasn't talking about me.

I snuck in the elevator with the third group. Luke and Annabeth were there as well, having waited to make sure everyone got up well. The only other people in with us were Connor and Travis Stole of Hermes House, so there was enough room for me to finally approach Annabeth. I stepped around Connor, and grabbed Annabeth's hand. She jumped, and reached for her knife, but must have realized last second that it was just me.

"What's wrong?" Luke asked glancing at her suspiciously.

"Nothing," Annabeth answered just a little bit too slow. You would think a girl like her would be a better liar. Still, Luke must have been distracted thinking about the upcoming visit, because he didn't push her. Annabeth and I both sighed in relief.

Mount Olympus was on the non-existent 600th floor of the Empire State Building, which didn't make much sense at all, so I don't know why it surprised me that we didn't have to change to the secondary elevator like you would if going to the main observation deck. Yet it did. Though that didn't surprise me half as much as the absolute terrible music playing in the elevator as we went. It took three songs for us to reach the top, but I couldn't tell you where one song ended and the next began. Or maybe it was just one really long, really bad song. Whatever the case, I just didn't get why the gods couldn't get themselves something good.

I forgot all about it the moment I stepped out of the elevator.

Mount Olympus made Grand Central Station look like a broom closet. Every time I'd pictured it, I'd been expecting something the size of the main school building. Maybe the rooms could magically expand or something, but the place itself wouldn't be that big. Boy was I wrong. It was like someone had taken the better part of a mountain, cut it off from the bottom, and then suspended it 300 feet in the air over New York City. The place spanned for miles around. Streets wound around the cliffs, filled with gods and nymphs and other things I couldn't even name. They were dancing, talking, selling, buying, laughing, and, in one case, they were shouting about a pithos being too expensive. And that was just in the area right by the entrance.

A little piece of advice. If you ever get to visit Olympus, don't look down. I made the dumb mistake of doing so, and I was certain I was about to die. The second you look down and start thinking about how none of this should be possible, it ceases to be possible. I looked down and suddenly the ground seemed to open up beneath me, and I was about to fall. Then I jumped forward, and the ground was solid again. From that point on, I kept my eyes on the back of Annabeth's head, and did not let them wander.

Okay, that's a lie. They did far more than wander. Sure the back of Annabeth's head is fine, I guess, but it's nothing compared to the sights of Mount Olympus. It took every ounce of self-control I had not to wander off from the group and explore. There was one vender selling these celestial bronze war axes and I wanted so badly to just pick one up and start playing with it. But I told myself I needed to stay with the group or I'd never find them again.

In retrospect, I really wish I hadn't been so sensible. I would have been much better off wandering away from my classmates and spending the rest of my life lost on Mount Olympus. Sorry, I keep getting ahead of myself. But I figured you deserve fair warning.

I didn't know where we were going. I can only guess that the trip had some sort of itinerary, but since I wasn't actually supposed to be there, I didn't get one. But eventually we reached a big old temple with the words 'hostel' on it, and Luke led us all inside. It wasn't very nice. I mean I guess it was nice for a hostel, but it was just one room with a few dozen beds lined up within. You would think the gods could do better than that, but I suppose they didn't want to. Sure, we'd been invited to spend the night on Olympus, but we didn't belong here. By cramming us all into one barren room, the gods were making that very clear. _You can glimpse this world, but you can't ever belong. Don't get any thought about staying,_  The room seemed to threaten.

I wonder if Luke had the same thought as me, because he frowned, looking as bitter as I suddenly felt. It was unfair for the gods to be so cold. They didn't need to take every opportunity to remind us we were unwanted; we already knew.

"Alright, does everyone have their drachmas for lunch?" Avery, the head of Demeter House, called out. I tended to avoid Avery; she had a reputation for smothering people with affection. But I supposed her maternal instincts worked well in situations like this. "Alright, well you're free for the next two hours before we're supposed to be at the theater. Stay out of the Throne Room of the Gods. Run the other way if you see Hades. And just be on your best behavior. We're guests here, so _xenia_ is in full-effect. If you're courteous, you'll receive courtesy, but if you insult our hosts… Well just don't."

 _Hey Percy_ , You're probably thinking about now, _Isn't sneaking around invisible an insult to your hosts?_

Yeah, yeah, I get it, you're smarter than me. Let's move on.

I had hoped Annabeth would hang back so I wasn't all alone, but she didn't. Instead, after Luke told her to go on without him, she set out with Stella and Malcom, the other two Athena kids there. I decided to tag along, which I regretted instantly, because they just started talking about art when all I wanted was to double back and find those giant axes. On the bright side, Annabeth did sneak me some lunch, though something about how she did so reminded me quite a bit of people tossing scraps to pigeons in Central Park.

All and all, two hours later, I was torn between thinking Olympus was the coolest place ever, and wondering why I was there. Don't get me wrong, it was really, really cool. There were minor gods playing skee-ball while the muses performed Led Zeppelin on a lyre. And even though I didn't know what Annabeth meant about 'Corinthian columns' or 'peer-polity interaction', I could appreciate that the place was pretty.

But I guess I had just expected we would, I don't know, actually go see the gods. My gaze kept slipping towards the throne room where I knew the Olympians were holding court. What did they talk about? What did they do? Did any of them have any desire to wander down the streets of Olympus and find the demigod children they'd invited to visit them?

Yes, one of them did, which didn't work out very well for me.

We were taking the long path back to our rendezvous point because Annabeth wanted to see some aqueduct (weren't those Roman?). All of a sudden, all three of the Athena kids went very still, stopping so suddenly I almost rammed into Annabeth. The reason why was obvious to anyone with eyes.

The two women looked a decent bit alike, though one was more a teenager than anything. Both were stunningly beautiful, with elegant white robes, striking grey eyes and long, flowing hair. The two goddesses (for they had to be such), were chatting casually as they moved towards us, but once they noticed us, they paused.

The older woman smiled, "Ah yes, our visitors. Annabeth, Malcom and Stella, and who is..."

Her eyes landed upon me, and my heart stopped. In that moment, I knew I was dead. This goddess could see me, and she did not appear the least bit happy by my sneaking around. In a second, she shifted. Suddenly I wasn't looking at a beautiful Greek maiden. In her place, I was faced with a fully-armed warrior, and a face more terrible than anything in the world. Some part of me knew the face wasn't real, that it was just an image upon a shield, but that certainly didn't make me any less terrified.

The goddess seemed to grow as she shouted, "What deception is this? Did you think I cannot see through my own magic? You would steal from my daughter to attack us! Who sent you?"

I don't know how she expected me to answer, not with her shield shaking me to my core, and her spear inches from my chest. Luckily, for me at least, Annabeth knew exactly what was going on, and apparently she didn't want me dead. "Mother no!"

Annabeth reached out, smacking the hat off my head. Malcom and Stella both jumped a yard away as I suddenly appeared. But Athena didn't waver. Not until Annabeth stepped between her mother's spear and me. "I gave it to him! He didn't steal it. Percy has just as much right to be here as the rest of us."

Athena lowered her weapons, and seemed to shrink down to a normal size. But her glaring gaze didn't wander from my face, not even as she order her daughter, "Explain, Annabeth."

I'll give Annabeth props. I don't know how she remained so calm when faced with her mother's fury. My mother wasn't the goddess of war and I still cowered on the rare occasion she got really mad. But Annabeth kept it together, and tried to explain why her mother shouldn't kill me on the spot. "Percy hasn't been claimed. When I first learned we were coming here, I asked Chiron if Percy could come as well, but he told me Percy had to go home with his mother. But he lives here in New York, so I gave him my hat so he could come and figure out who his dad is. Surely you can appreciate someone on a quest for knowledge?"

Athena frowned, studying me. Then the other woman approached. Somehow she seemed younger, and her eyes were fixed upon Annabeth. "Your daughter is brave Athena, but she is also wise. Let us bring him to the throne room and let our father determine if his quest is true. I must say, he does not look like much of a threat to Olympus, and I am curious as to who sired such a boy."

I knew she was insulting me, but honestly, I was just relieved not to be speared that I didn't mind the insult. Especially when Athena took a deep breath, and nodded. "Annabeth will come as well, so we may discuss the proper uses for gifts. Stella, Malcom, you two should get back with the group."

Neither of them were about to fight with their mother. Malcolm at least gave us both a sympathetic look, but promptly left. At that point Athena pointed towards the temple, and Annabeth and I began our march.

 _How many myths are about being careful for what you wish for?_ I wondered. _You wish to see all the Olympians, well now you're going to see all the Olympians. And most likely they're just going to kill you. Especially if they figure out who your dad is. This was exactly what everyone was afraid would happen when you asked to go, so of course it's what's happening when you disobey. There's a goddess of retribution isn't she? The Greek karma? I bet she's around here somewhere laughing._

I felt bad for having gotten Annabeth in trouble. Maybe it was insignificant considering Zeus was probably about to smite me, but I didn't like seeing her get yelled at by her mom. Annabeth was probably the demigod I knew who had the best relationship with her godly parent. She credited her mom with helping her survive right after she ran away, and with bringing her to find Luke and Thalia. Her mom had even dropped by on her twelfth birthday to give her the Yankee's cap. If my stupidity ruined that relationship… well I might be glad to be dead, because I'd feel really bad. She was annoying, yeah, but Annabeth was also one of my best friends, and I hated seeing her look so sad. I could practically see her beating herself up. It wasn't a pretty sight.

The moment we arrived in the throne room, however, we both forgot our worries. It was absolutely impossible to feel scared, or upset, or anything but awed upon stepping into Zeus's throne room. The twelve thrones lined the hall in the same pattern as the houses at school, but I could easily have told you which one was which even if I hadn't known.

In the center, was Zeus's. Solid platinum with lightning designs on the side, it was ever-so-slightly bigger and grander than the rest. Or maybe it was just the man sitting upon it which made it seem so. His hair and beard were shaggy, but no one would mistake him for a hobo. He was sharply dressed in a pin stripe suite, and just inches from his hand, I watched terrified as electricity crackled around his master bolt. What would it feel like if he decided to zap me with that? Would it hurt, or would I be dead too quickly to notice?

Speaking of death, next to him, engaged in a bitter argument with Zeus, was Hades. The god of death was sitting in a folding chair, not a throne, but it wasn't funny to look at. Mainly because the dude was ten feet tall, completely pale, and stared me down with eyes so dark they resembled pitch. I only looked at him for a second, but I felt ten years come off my life.

Then my eyes landed upon the god next to him, and my heart stopped. I immediately looked away, but the Bermuda shirt and tanned skin was impossible to forget. My dad (no, Poseidon. I didn't know for sure he was my dad, and if he wasn't, I was far less likely to die today). _Poseidon_ wasn't looking at me. He was talking to another god I recognized, the golden Apollo, and didn't even seem to notice we'd arrived. In fact, none of the gods noticed us at first. Not until the younger goddess floated over to her own throne, and Athena cleared her throat, "Ahem. It seems there is one more matter for us to discuss."

The gods ignored her. Now that I'd seen it first-hand, I had no idea how anyone, god or not, could risk Athena's anger, but the gods didn't seemed worried. They continued their conversations until Athena suddenly doubled in size, her voice radiating, "This is important."

My heart had stopped beating at this point. Maybe I was already dead from the terror of it all. Under my breath, I whispered to Annabeth, "I'm sorry about this."

"It was my idea," she muttered, and I felt a little bit of my courage come back to me. I was in trouble once more, but for the first time, there was someone on my side.

I wondered if my dad was on my side as well. I refused to look over at Poseidon, terrified that I'd see recognition in his face. My mind kept jumping back and forth between thinking of him as my father and begging for it not to be true. Somehow I managed to focus on what was being said around me.

The gods had settled down, humoring Athena, though I thought I saw Apollo roll his eyes. Satisfied, Athena returned to a slightly-larger-than-normal size, and beckoned me forward. I felt like I was marching towards my funeral, but my legs moved against my will, and I ended up standing besides her.

"It has come to my attention that my own daughter aided this boy in sneaking invisible onto Olympus. I can only imagine what nefarious purposes he might have intended, but I do believe such wiliness proves perfidious intent."

Honestly? I didn't know what 'wiliness' or 'perfidious' meant, which annoyed me. And when I'm annoyed, as you know, I do stupid things, like suddenly shouting, "I wasn't doing anything bad! I just wanted to come."

Athena glowered at me, "Hold your tongue, boy."

Then, something surprising. From his throne, Zeus let out a loud and hardy laugh. Everyone turned to look at him, but he continued to snicker. Finally he said, "Athena, I do believe the solstice is getting to you. Look at the boy. He does not seem particularly dangerous to me. Come here, boy."

I glanced over at Annabeth, figuring she had a better idea than I did of what to do. But her face was slack, and gave me no guidance. Heart pounding, I slowly made my way to the foot of Zeus's throne. Then, as an after thought, I hastily bowed. That seemed to please him quite a bit.

"See, a perfectly polite, if slightly scrawny, child. Tell me, boy, what is your name."

"Percy… Percy Jackson," I stammered, and then, because I remembered Perseus was Zeus's son, I added, "Well, it's Perseus, but I go by Percy."

Sure enough, Zeus liked the name. He smiled brightly as I stammered, and turned to the other gods as if to say 'see, no kid named after my son could ever be trouble'. Then he said to me, "And who is your parent, Perseus Jackson?"

I couldn't stop myself; I glanced over at Poseidon. I needed to know if he was looking at me, if he was thinking about me. Would he defend me, if it came down to it? Or would he be happy to see the other gods smite me before anyone found out what he'd done. _(If he did it, Percy. You don't know for sure.)_

Poseidon was hardly paying attention. My heart dropped. Either he didn't know I wasn't his son, he didn't recognize me as his son, or he just didn't care that I was. Somehow none of those options made me very happy. I knew it would be best if Poseidon wasn't my father, but I'd been thinking he was for so long, I would be strangely disappointed to find out it wasn't true.

I turned back to Zeus, my voice heavier with grief than I would have liked to admit. "I don't know. That's why I wanted to come to Olympus. I was hoping I would figure out who my father was."

Zeus nodded slowly, as if he somehow understood my plight, and felt for me. It was so patronizing, it made me angry. Once more I looked again at Poseidon, hoping he'd do something to prove he did care, but the god still wasn't paying attention.

"It is a shame that some gods have so many kids they cannot keep track of them all, isn't it, Perseus? I, of course, have no demigod children anymore, but I cannot possibly understand how a god could be so blind as to forget their own child. He's not any of yours, is he? Hermes, he has your mischievous glint, does he not? Or perhaps he's yours Dionysus. Do not think I'm unaware of your little weekend excursions."

I hadn't even noticed Mr. D, but at that point he scoffed, "No, Father, Peter Jetson is certainly not my problem. What do you think, Poseidon? He has the look of the sea, I believe. Has Triton finally moved on from what happened to poor Pallas?"

My heart stopped. Poseidon looked over, surprised. Was he confused? Or was he just trying to hide the truth? I couldn't tell. Looking at him really was looking at the sea- most of the time it was impossible to tell what it was thinking. But a strange looked crossed Zeus's face, and I worried for a second that I knew exactly what he was thinking.

Therefore as surprised as I was when Athena interjected, I was relieved as well, "Leave Pallas out of this, Dionysus. She and this boy have nothing in common. Pallas was brave, skillful, and…"

"Yes, yes, we know," Zeus interjected, clearly looking nervous. I didn't have a clue who this Pallas was, but I could tell he wanted her out of the conversation. In fact, he no longer seemed amused, so now he just seemed to want the conversation to end.

"Well, Perseus, it was wrong of you to attempt such a deceit but since no parties were injured, I see no reason to punish you. My own father, of course, tried to eat me, so I do understand what it is like to have a father you cannot possibly impress."

I heard Apollo scoff, and Zeus glared at him. Then the King of the Gods turned back to me, "Go, boy. Athena, if you wish to punish your daughter, you may, but for now let us return to our own business, shall we?"

I scampered back to Annabeth. Athena turned to look at us. I could tell she was still suspicious, but finally she nodded, "You may go, Annabeth. Have more care with that hat, or you shall find it no longer works. As for you, Perseus Jackson, I do hope your intentions are as noble as you claim. For if they are not, you will know the point of my spear."


	11. Guilty Until Proven Innocent

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a very surprising chapter, but definitely an important one. Enjoy!

Chapter 11- Guilty Until Proven Innocent

I woke up with Athena's spear at my throat.

I'd been dreaming that I was drowning, so I didn't mind waking up. That said, you definitely don't ever want to wake up with a spear at your throat. Definitely not Athena's spear either, especially if once you look into Athena's eyes, you see nothing but hatred and suspicion.

"Move, prodótēs, and not a word from your deceitful tongue" she hissed. My heart dropped. For one second, I closed my eyes, praying this was just another nightmare. But Athena was still there when I looked again. Guess praying doesn't do you much good when it's the gods who want to kill you.

I glanced over at my classmates. They were all still asleep. Annabeth seemed to squirm, though. Could she sense her mom was about to kill me? If she could, she didn't awake. I glanced over at Luke's cot and found it empty. Great, the only other person awake and he had to pick then to go to the bathroom. I was dead for sure.

In my head, I yelled at Athena. I demanded she tell me what this was about. Shouted that Zeus would punish her for disobeying him. But aloud, I said nothing. One look at her and I knew she wanted to run me through. I wasn't about to give her any reason to do so. Instead, I jammed my hands in my pocket, and let Athena march me to my death.

Riptide brushed against my fingers. For a second, I considered drawing her, fighting my way off Olympus. But I knew it would never work, and that would definitely fall into the category of 'reasons for Athena to skewer me'.

At night, Olympus was a different place. I don't think gods sleep, but the streets were deserted. Maybe it was just the storm brewing. The moment I stepped outside I was almost knocked over by a raging gust of wind. The standards above different temples flapped and tore against the storm. It wasn't raining, yet, but I could feel the heaviness in the air. There was a thunderstorm brewing. Zeus was angry.

Besides for Athena, all the gods sat upon their thrones, twenty feet tall, and glowing at me. Hades and his folding chair had disappeared, but that wasn't surprising. The solstice had ended at midnight; he was no more welcome there than I was now.

I didn't know what to do. My heart pounded. My hands grew sweaty and started to shake. Every instinct told me to draw Riptide and fight, or at least run away. But I couldn't do either. Athena led me to the center of the throne room, then left to take her seat, but just because the spear was no longer against my back, that didn't mean I was safe. No, now I had twelve gods poised to murder me, not just one.

Zeus stood. He wasn't laughing anymore. I could see upon his face the same burning anger I'd felt outside in the storm. I was twenty-feet away, standing small and terrified in the center of the throne room, but Zeus glowered at me, "Name your master, return it to me now, and I will give you a clean death. Resist me and I will make you long for the Fields of Punishment."

Have you ever been so confused you just can't bring yourself to be properly scared? Well, at that moment, I was. Don't get me wrong, it's impossible not to be terrified when Zeus himself is threatening you, but for a moment, I forgot my fear. It became secondary. I was just confused. "What am I supposed to be returning?"

Not the right answer. Zeus howled in anger reached to the side of his throne. I closed my eyes, expecting to be zapped into oblivion, but the blast of lightning never came. When I opened my eyes, I saw Zeus clenching his fist where his master bolt should have been. My heart dropped. His master bolt. The symbol of his power. That was what was missing… and he thought I'd taken it.

My whole life people had been accusing me of things that weren't my fault. I don't know why I'd expected the gods to be any better. But they weren't, and I got angry. Punish me for sneaking onto Olympus. Don't punish me for things I'd never done in my life! "I'm not a thief! I didn't take your lightning bolt!"

"Only the thief would know what was stolen," the big god in a leather jacket, Ares if I had to guess, remarked from his throne.

I clenched my fists, "I have eyes! I'm not an idiot, and I'm not a thief. You have to believe me!"

The goddess who sat next to Zeus leaned forward. She was pretty, with an expression that reminded me a great deal of my mother. And she almost sounded fair when she asked, "You used deception to enter Olympus. Why should we possibly believe you?"

I was pretty sure that was Hera, but I didn't know why she'd be treating me fairly. Everyone knew Hera hated demigods… or maybe that was just when they were children of Zeus. I couldn't remember. Annabeth would have known, but she was asleep, oblivious to the danger I faced.

I wished I had a good response for the goddess, but I didn't. Instead I just repeated, "Because I didn't do it! I swear I've never stolen anything! What would I even do with Zeus's lightning bolt? I'd die if I tried to use it."

"Indeed a petty mortal such as yourself would turn to ashes the moment you tried, but another god would not. You stole if for your father. Name him, boy, before I get angry. Who sired you?"

 _'Before I get angry'_ , like Zeus wasn't already angry. Well you know what, I was angry too. Especially when I looked over at Poseidon and saw absolutely no emotion on his face. If he really was my dad, why didn't he defend me? And if he wasn't my dad, then who was?

Shouting at the King of the Gods, bad idea. I did it anyways. "I don't know! He doesn't care about me, and I don't care about him! I've never even met him! Why would I steal for him? How would I steal for him when he won't even show his face?"

I was seething, bitter and angry. Zeus was furious that I'd dare yell at him, but I noticed a few of the gods looked almost impressed at my boldness. But only as impressed as you'd be if your dog stole the steak right off your plate.

Zeus just dismissed me, "You may have thought he would claim you once you had the bolt. Or perhaps he came to you in a dream. There are ways."

"Dreams? Unless my father is some giant turtle with the voice of a fiery pit…" I paused, unsure where those words came from. I'd forgotten those dreams, but suddenly they came back to me. I remembered standing on the edge of a pit. I remembered Luke talking to that turtle. And the voices… they'd been the same. But then, was it the turtle in the pit? That just didn't seem right.

I didn't get much time to think about it. At that moment, all the gods seemed to fizzle and burn. Something about what I'd said had scared them, Zeus especially. He seemed to double in size, but I could see sheer terror upon his face. Suddenly he spoke fast in Ancient Greek. I was doing fairly well in that class, but I only caught a few words of what he was saying: Pit. Father. Stirring. Traitor. Kill him.

That last one caught my attention. Anger and impulsiveness mixed inside me, and I exploded. "Hey! If you're going to kill me I at least deserve to know why!"

You know, I was kind of grateful Zeus didn't have his lightning bolt. If he'd had it, I would have been dead a dozen times over. Then again, if he'd had his lightning bolt I wouldn't have been in trouble in the first place.

Surprisingly, Athena was the one to answer. She climbed down from her throne, and moved towards me. Her eyes did not seem to waver an inch from my face as she stalked around me. Finally she finished her loop, and turned back to Zeus, "He is either an idiot, or an impressive liar, but we should listen to what he has to say. If Kronos is stirring…"

"Do not say that name in my halls!" Zeus shouted, and then, even Athena looked frightened. "He admits to working with our enemy! I shall kill him and find the bolt myself."

None of the gods objected to that. They began talking over each other, bickering about whether or not Kronos was returning and what they should do if he did. But every one of them seemed to agree I should die. Only Poseidon remained silent.

Somehow, maybe because I was an idiot, I wasn't cowed into silence at this renewed threat of death. Instead I shouted over the noise, "Hey! I'm not working with anyone! If that voice was Kronos… well he wants to kill you all. And he told me I would help him but…"

"Percy, stop talking."

The whole hall went silent as Poseidon spoke. My heart leapt from my chest and then crashed to the floor. I didn't know what to think, what to feel. But then Poseidon climbed down from his throne and came over to me. He seemed to shrink in size as he did until he was right in front of me, the size of a normal man. For the first time, I got a clear look at him. And I knew. I'd always known, but when I looked him right in the eyes, I remembered my dreams, I remembered seeing him as a baby. I knew those eyes, not just because they were my own, but because they were the eyes of my father. My father, Poseidon.

"What is this?" Zeus asked, narrowing his eyes. "Surely you do not believe the boy's lies."

Poseidon- my father Poseidon- stepped between me and Zeus. Then, without any hesitation, he said, "I do believe Perseus, yes. Our father is gone. He holds no power any longer. You yourself have said he can never return, so you cannot possibly accuse Percy of conspiring with him. Sometimes a dream is just a dream, and our father speaking as a giant turtle seems like just a dream to me."

The other gods looked between each other. Some of them seemed convinced by the logic in Poseidon's words. After all, Kronos was the worst titan of them all. If he was to come back, why would he do so as a turtle? Why would he come to me, a scrawny 12-year-old who hadn't even been claimed?

Zeus looked conflicted. I could tell he wanted Poseidon to be right. He more than any of them didn't want Kronos coming back. At the same time, Zeus and Poseidon were bitter rivals. Zeus wanted to disagree with Poseidon on principle.

Finally he must have decided that he hated his father more than his brother, because he let all talk of Kronos cease. Instead he returned to, "Then perhaps he stole the bolt for his father, but he is the thief."

I was about to shout for the billionth time that I wasn't a thief, but my dad spoke up first. Unlike me, his voice was calm, collected, but it wasn't true calm. It was a controlled rage, like the sea holding back until all of a sudden it caused a tsunami, "Perseus's father did not ask him to steal your master bolt."

"How could you possibly know that?" Zeus snapped.

I closed my eyes. A part of me felt grateful. In the end, my dad had stepped in to keep Zeus from killing me. But in doing so he'd probably gotten me killed anyways. I remembered what Luke told me about Thalia, the daughter of Zeus. The gods punished her for her dad's sin. No doubt they would do the same to me. They'd made it abundantly clear that they didn't give two-craps about fairness.

But then my dad reached out, placing a hand on my shoulder. Shivers went down my spine. It occurred to me that this was probably the first time in my life my father had ever touched me. It suddenly made him a lot more real. And in a strange way, it made me feel safe, even though I knew I wasn't.

"I know because I gave no such order, and Perseus is my son. This is why you shall not lay a hand upon him without proof of his guilt. He is my son, and he is innocent."

I was terrified to look and see the other gods expressions, but I didn't want to just look like an idiot staring at the floor. Therefore I raised my gaze and met Zeus's eyes. If he'd been angry at me for stealing his lightning bolt, that was nothing compared to how furious he was now. I suddenly felt very hot, and wondered if Zeus could incinerate me with just his gaze. He probably could. But Poseidon was his brother, the god of the whole sea, and quite possibly the only god equal in power to him. If I was in danger because of my dad, he protected me as well.

Zeus didn't say anything, not immediately, but it was clear that he and Poseidon would be having words. But apparently I was not to stick around and hear them. My father turned towards me, face blank. Was he angry at me for having put him in this situation? Was he scared. I just couldn't tell. Not even when he spoke, "Do you have your pearls, Perseus?"

My pearls. I'd completely forgotten about them, but when I reached into my pocket, I discovered they were there. Much like Riptide, they always seemed to be there when I needed them. So, I nodded.

"Good. The blue shall always bring you home. Just smash it upon the ground. I will inform your friends where you have gone, but if you care for your mother's safety, you will return to Chiron's school immediately. Of my brothers, Zeus is the calm, rational one. Until Zeus's bolt is found, there will be no peace."

"I didn't steal anything," I muttered once more.

For the first time, I saw a hint of emotion upon my father's face. He almost seemed to smile, "I believe you, Perseus. I have staked my own fate upon it. Someone has set us both us, but until clearer heads prevail, you must not do anything else to draw suspicion to yourself. Do you understand?"

Yeah, I understood. He was telling me to shut up and keep out of sight. Not exactly how I wanted my first conversation with my father to go. But I supposed this was better than him just letting Zeus kill me on the spot, "Yes, Father."

"Good, now go." He told me. I reached in my pocket and found the blue pearl from that summer. I didn't use it immediately though. I hesitated one second, staying just long enough to see my father revert to full-size and stare down all the gods.

"Let there not be war among us. When we find the true lightning thief, they shall face punishment. Only a demigod could have taken the master bolt, but my son is not a thief. That only means one of yours is, so be hesitant in throwing accusations lest the truth prove your own guilt."


	12. I Ruin Everything

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally just applied for a study abroad in Greece 5 minutes ago, so I figured I had to give y'all a chapter. It's an angsty one. Also, there's a Carter Kane cameo if you squint, because why not. Enjoy!

I had no way of explaining to Gabe how I'd suddenly appeared in my room.

It was the middle of the night, but he was awake playing poker and drinking beer. (Big surprise). When he heard a crash in my bedroom, his 'office', he thought a burglar had come in the fire escape. He'd taken his burly friends, a kitchen knife, and come to drive the thief out.

When he burst into the room and found me, I don't know who was more surprised. Our superintendent, Eddie, however, was definitely the one who screamed the loudest.

My mom came running then, and upon seeing me, tried to convince Gabe that his friends should leave. Gabe didn't like that. He reached out and smacked her across the face.

I'd been angry when Zeus called me a thief. I'd been angry when Clarisse tried to give me a swirly. But that was nothing compared to the anger I felt when I saw Gabe hit my mom. I didn't stop to think; I pulled Riptide from my pocket. Eddie shouted, "Kid, put the gun away. This doesn't have to get out of hand!"

I turned to look at my mom. Her lip was twitching. I knew she could see my sword, she knew what it really was. She knew what I wanted to do. But she shook her head. She didn't want me to do something I'd regret. Besides, Chiron said celestial bronze went right through morals. I'd get myself arrested for attempted murder and it wouldn't even do me any good.

I put Riptide back in my pocket. But of course that wasn't enough for Gabe. He shouted, "Give it here you little psycho. I'm calling the police. You can't keep that in my house!"

I clenched my fists, but handed Riptide over. Once I did, Gabe studied it and then tossed it onto the bed, "Just a freaking water-gun."

Everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, but it didn't last long. Suddenly, Gabe's gaze turned dark, "You think you can threaten me, kid? You think you're a tough guy? Well I'll show you tough."

He punched me right in the gut.

I wasn't expecting it and doubled over in pain. I'd been hit far worse with a sword, but then I had armor. Then I was expecting it. This was just a low-blow, a grown man wailing on a 12-year-old boy. My mom screamed. Eddie reached out and grabbed Gabe, probably before he could hit me again. "Gabe, lay off, it was just a stupid prank."

I'm not proud to admit it, but if Riptide would have worked on Gabe… he would have been dead. I don't even think I would have even hesitated. But his utter mortality protected him, and there was nothing I could do. I knew I'd only make things worse if I punched him back. Gods how I wanted to, but considering how much trouble I was already in with the gods…

Eddie reached into his pocket and pulled out a few wads of bills. "Here, Sally. Why don't you and Percy go somewhere else for the night. Let everyone cool down."

My mom scooped up the money and moved towards the door, Gabe glared at her, but didn't try to stop her leaving. I went to follow her and Gabe spit in my face. If Eddie hadn't been right there… I don't know what I would have done. I'd gotten a lot stronger at school, but Gabe was still a big guy.

My suitcase from school was in the kitchen, and my mom quickly stuffed a bag full of her things. We didn't say anything until we were out of the apartment. Once the freezing air signaled we were free, my mom grabbed me and promptly began to sob. And I have to admit, I did as well.

It wasn't just the encounter with Gabe. I cried because if Gabe had hit my mom once, then he'd certainly hit her before, and I'd done nothing to help her. I remembered Zeus's bitter accusations, the terrifying realization that it didn't matter that I was innocent, the gods would kill me anyways. And I remembered my father's blank face as he looked at me. He really didn't care at all, did he? He never had.

Silent tears froze against my face. I wiped them away the best I could. If my mom knew how upset I was… She didn't need that. She didn't deserve any of this. It was all my fault. Who could blame my father for wanting nothing to do with me when all I brought my mother was grief?

Finally she managed to get herself together. Her breathing steadied, and though she shivered, I could tell it was from the cold, not from fear. I whispered to her, "Come on, let's get something to eat."

Best bit about New York City? No one questions the woman with her twelve-year-old going into a diner at three in the morning. The waitress just took our order and then let us be. If she could see the tear stains on my mom's face… well she didn't ask.

Finally my mom spoke, and her words break my heart, "Percy, I'm so sorry."

"Mom…" My voice cracked as I tried to find something to say. Was it my fault? Was it Gabe's? I honestly didn't know who to blame. A part of me even wanted to blame my dad. If he'd cared about my mom, how had she ended up with Gabe? He was the Lord of the Sea; surely he could scrounge up something for the mother of his child.

Finally I settled upon the only thing I did know, "Mom, it wasn't your fault. Gabe's a jerk and I… I'm always trouble."

She must have sensed that things were even worse than she knew. Voice low, she asked, "What happened?"

I didn't even know how to explain, but the words tumbled out. I told her about how I'd snuck onto Olympus, how Athena found out. I told her how much fun it had been until Zeus dragged me out of bed to execute me. And I told her the truth, that Poseidon had claimed me, that he'd threatened war against anyone who accused me of stealing the bolt.

By the time I was done talking, our waitress had returned, laying two plates of blueberry pancakes in front of us. My mom sat silent for a moment, processing my words. I ate nervously, trying to focus on the taste of the pancakes and not everything which had gone wrong. Finally, my mom reached across the table, and squeezed my hand, "Percy, your father warned me that someday this would happen, but I am so sorry it did. I cannot imagine how frightening that must have been."

Frightening didn't describe it, but I didn't want my mom worrying about me. This threat- it wasn't about to go away anytime soon. Actually, it would just get worse. Zeus thinking I'd stolen his lightning bolt was bad enough, but it was Hades who'd sent monsters after Thalia. He'd probably know about me in the next few hours, and then he'd send monsters after me too.

Which meant I had no choice, I had to go back to school. I remembered my dad's words- _if you care for your mother's safety, you will return to Chiron's school immediately_. Annabeth and Luke had almost died with Thalia, and at least they were demigods. My mother was mortal. If, no when, Hades's monsters came for me… she'd just be in danger.

"Mom, I need to get back to school. Until this is settled, Hades or Zeus might use you to hurt me… to hurt Dad. If I don't leave, you'll just be in danger."

My mom pursed her lips, and not because of her bitter coffee. "Percy, you might not have to. Gabe's smell… it hides you. He's so repulsively human monsters can't possibly find you."

A lump formed in my throat. A terrible theory, "Mom… Did you marry Gabe for me? Because you thought he would hide me from monsters?"

She closed her eyes, and I worried she'd start crying again. But my mom was strong, and she nodded softly. "Percy, I would do anything to keep you safe. If that means being with Gabe. If that means never seeing you again… Your safety is all that matters to me."

I didn't need another reason why I'd ruined my mom's life. But now, it seemed, I had one. But instead of making me angry or sad, I felt a strange peace pass over me. For a moment, I felt a lot older than twelve. I reached across the table, grabbed her hand, and squeezed it tight. "Mom, look at me." I waited until she did. Tears glistened behind her eyes, but a smile was there as well. "Mom, you don't have to protect me anymore. I've learned how to fight. I need to go back to school until we find Zeus's lightning bolt, but I'll come home after that and I'll protect myself. You can't stay with Gabe any longer, not for me. Not if he's been hitting you."

My mom bit her lip, "Percy, I'm your mother. It's my job to protect you, not the other way around."

But I hardly heard her. I was thinking about another night, the night I'd looked at the stars, and promised them I would save my mother, just like Perseus saved Andromeda. I wasn't going to fail in that now, not even as the cards stacked against me.

"You'll take the first train to Long Island. Isn't there someone at that school you can call to pick you up?"

Though she wasn't supposed to, I knew Annabeth had a cell phone. I didn't know the number though, and it wasn't like I could just call the school office and ask for a ride. So far as I knew, we didn't have a school office. If we did, it was staffed by Mr. D, and I already had enough gods who wanted to kill me without angering him too.

"I'll call a cab. I'll be fine, Mom. I promise."

Was that a promise I could keep? No way. Zeus wanted me dead. By now, most likely Hades, the god of death, wanted me dead too. There was no way I would be fine, but I didn't need my mom worrying. I'd brought her enough troubles. Gods, I still couldn't believe she'd married Gabe for me. It made me sick just to think about. So I had to push the thought from my mind.

We ate in silence for a little while longer, but finally my mother sighed, "Alright. Well, tell me some more about your friends, at least. If I won't see you for another few months I want to know who you'll be with. Make sure I approve."

I smiled softly. My mom's ability to turn everything positive was unbelievable. I loved her for it. "Well, my best friend is probably my roommate, Luke. He's a senior but he's really cool. He and I sword fight most days… just for fun, I mean. We're not trying to hurt each other. But I've learned a lot from him. Luke… Luke's great. And then in my grade there's Annabeth."

"Annabeth?" My mom's eyes lit up, and I blushed deeply. No! It wasn't like that. Why would she think that! The sheer thought of me liking-liking Annabeth… it was horrible.

Wasn't it?

"She's a good friend. She's bossy and annoying sometimes, but she can be pretty funny when she wants to. She and Luke have been friends for years, so the three of us hang out a lot, and Annabeth will help me with my homework. Her mom's Athena, so she's really smart."

I continued rambling from there, telling my mom about the kids on the swim team, and some of the kids in Hermes House. As I spoke, I grew almost excited to go back to school. I'd miss my mom for sure, but it really hadn't occurred to me that for the first time in my life, I liked school. Oh I didn't like my classes. But I wasn't failing, and between swimming and capture the flag and sparring with Luke, I wasn't half-bad at anything. Besides, people at AA liked me. Not everyone- I made a point of not telling my mom about Clarisse- but most of the kids were pretty chill. If there was one thing I knew, it was that I belonged at AA. It was safe. It was home.

So I wasn't terribly upset when the sun rose and we took a cab over to Penn Station. My mom was smiling as she bought my ticket, so I wasn't all that bad. An instrumental version of "I'll be Home for Christmas" played in the background, and it didn't feel painfully ironic. I was leaving my mom, but at least I was going someplace good. That wasn't something I'd ever been able to say about my schools before.

But of course things couldn't stay as they were. No, that would almost be fair.

I had the feeling I was being watched, a certain tingling on the back of my neck. It made my hand go to my pocket, and I turned around. But when I looked, I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. It was two days before Christmas in Penn Station. The place was packed, families dashing about, trying to visit relatives. Commuters trying to go in for work, cursing the kids on vacation. I spotted a boy, probably two years younger than me, standing in a suite next to his father looking polite and calm. Nearby, a five year old girl was screaming her head off and hitting her mom with a Barbie doll. Beyond that were three women, perhaps fifty years old, all dressed in matching black suits. They looked like lawyers, and were pouring over a newspaper. I wouldn't have paid them any attention had one not looked up at that exact moment and smiled.

Chills ran down my spine. Something about them was wrong; I just knew it. I ran through all the myths I knew. What monsters came in three and looked like lawyers? Not any I could think of. Annabeth surely would know though. Luke too. I made a mental note to pay more attention in Ancient Greek. It was one of my better classes, but it was easy at school to forget that knowing my myths could mean life or death.

I looked away from the women immediately, reaching into my pocket and grabbing Riptide. There was certainly a chance that they were perfectly normal women. Lawyers could be pretty wicked; maybe that was all I was sensing. But as soon as my mom had my ticket, I shuffled her away. Luckily, the women stayed in line. A few minutes later, I was almost able to forget about them.

But then we were standing on the platform, and I saw them again. My heart pounded. I tried to keep the nervousness from my face, but my mom must have noticed because she turned around. When she saw the women, she went still. "Percy, when the train gets here, get on. Don't hesitate, no matter what."

My stomach dropped. If my mom knew something was wrong, then it wasn't just my overactive imagination. "Mom, what about you?"

"I'll be fine, Percy. I promise. Just get on the train and get to school as quickly as you can. Then… then find a way to call me, just so I know you're safe. Alright?"

"The 49 East Train to Long Island is now approaching. Prepare to board the 49 East Train to Long Island." A voice called out over the speaker. I could distantly hear the train approaching.

The three lawyers folded up their newspaper and started walking towards me and my mom. My mom stepped in front of me, but I wasn't about to let anything happen to her. I pulled Riptide from my pocket. The three women stopped five feet away, frowning. The one in the middle saw Riptide in my hand, and frowned, "Now honey, there's no need to cause more trouble. Give it to me now, and we won't have any problems."

I uncapped Riptide just as the train pulled in besides me. People started to board, skirting around us, completely oblivious to the sword in my hand. My mom pushed me towards the train, "Go, Percy. Now."

I wasn't going to leave her. Besides, these women were clearly monsters sent to punish me for stealing the bolt, and there was nothing to stop them from following me right onto the train. Better to make my stand out on the platform where I had the space to move.

"I. Am. Not. A. Thief." I told the ladies through gritted teeth. "I don't have the Master Bolt! But I do have a sword, and I know how to use it."

Without giving them another warning, I jumped in front of my mom, slashing Riptide across the body of the middle woman. She was so surprised by my rashness she didn't have time to react; she vaporized on the spot. Her two friends didn't like that very much. All of a sudden, leathery bat wings sprouted from their backs, their eyes began to glow, and huge yellow fangs appeared in their mouth. They hissed cracking whips I hadn't even seen appear in my direction. Wishing I had a pencil that turned into a shield, I did my past to knock their whips away with Riptide, but one caught my leg. It burned upon impact, and I stumbled. Behind me, my mom screamed.

Before I'd regained my balance, one of the monsters swooped towards me, whip flailing. It probably would have killed me had my mom not stepped in the way, spraying pepper-spray right in its face. It didn't kill the monster by any means, but it distracted it long enough for me to stab it with Riptide. It vanished into the air.

I didn't get a chance to celebrate. The other creature had been tearing through my suitcase, looking for the bolt I guess, but when its sister vanished, it turned upon us with an unholy scream. I raised Riptide high, ready to defend myself. But the creature didn't come at me. Too late I realized its claws were reaching next to me. It grabbed my mom in its claws, scooping her up. I swung desperately, but the creature was out of reach. Instead Riptide went right through my mom, and she disappeared into thin air.

I don't think I screamed; I was too shocked. I knew Riptide wasn't supposed to hurt mortals, but my mom was gone, and all I could think was- I've just killed my mom.

Rage boiled within me. I wasn't thinking anymore. I leapt into the air, slashing furiously at the creature. It didn't stand a chance. It vaporized and I crashed to the ground panting heavily.

I looked around, pleading with the universe for this to all be some joke. A part of me was convinced that it had been a trick of the light, that my mom had just fallen somewhere else and I couldn't see her. But the platform was mostly empty, and there was no sign of my mom. Besides, in my heart-of-hearts I knew the truth. She was gone. She was dead. I hadn't saved her; I'd killed her.

Mind numb, I turned towards my suitcase. The monster had completely wrecked it, tearing all my clothes to shreds. I must have been in shock, because for a second I didn't think about the fact that my mom was dead. I just imagined explaining to my teachers that a monster ate my homework.

A voice yelled out, "Last call for 49 East! Last call for 49 East to Long Island."

I looked back around once more, but my mom was still gone. I knew then that she would always be gone. That was what happened when someone died. My mind spun, but I somehow managed to stumble onto the train. I guess, after everything I'd lost, I wasn't about to let my mom's sacrifice be in vain… Or maybe I just knew I'd end up eaten by some other monster if I didn't get back to school quick.

I didn't cry. Not because I was some macho guy. Macho guys cry. No, I was just in shock. I couldn't bring myself to be sad because I couldn't bring myself to believe what had happened. So as the train pulled out of the station, I just sat there, staring out the window into the nothingness.

Fifteen minutes into the ride, an older teen, maybe fourteen crutched down the aisle of the train. He seemed nervous, and like he was looking for something. Immediately my mind woke up. I still wasn't safe. I might very well die along with my mom. Maybe this kid didn't look like some monster, but then again, neither had the bat-lawyers at first. I had every reason to be nervous-especially when the kid paused right next to me.

I gripped Riptide in my pocket, but didn't draw her. There was something about this kid, maybe it was the shadow of his goatee, maybe something else, but he didn't seem very frightening. Not even when he asked, "Percy Jackson?"

I gritted my teeth, and hissed, "I didn't steal anything, but I don't have anything else to lose. Don't try me."

The kid's eyes grew wide, but he slid into the seat next to me, "I don't think you stole anything… or well Chiron doesn't. He sent me to find you as soon as Luke told him what happened at Olympus. I'm Grover."

I bit my lip. It felt kind of stupid to trust this Grover, but I guess I just didn't have the emotional capacity for fear at that point. If I felt anything at all, it was going to be crippling grief, and I wasn't ready for that. So I let it be. Honestly, if this Grover killed me, at least I would be with my mom.

I didn't say anything to him, just turned and stared out the window. For a few minutes he was silent as well, but then he sighed and said, "Look, Percy, I'm a satyr, a protector. Chiron wants to make sure you get back to school without… without…"

"Without getting killed and turned into a tree? Yeah, well thanks, I guess. I hope I don't get turned into a tree too."

Grover went very still, and said nothing more. I felt bad, but I didn't know why he was so upset by my words. Still, after a few minutes of sulking, my conscience won out. I knew my mom would be furious at me for being so rude, and honestly, I didn't like it myself. So I turned back to Grover and said, "Look, Man, I'm sorry. I'm glad someone cares enough to help. But I know how this story ends. Zeus wants me dead. Probably Hades too by now. I don't stand a chance."

Grover still looked very sad, but he tried to look cheerful for my sake. "Don't talk like that! I'm not going to let anything happen to you, and really, if anyone ordered your death your dad would probably destroy California so…"

I gave Grover a look which roughly translated to *seriously dude? Not making me feel better.* Yet it strangely did. Not because it made me feel good to know my dad would destroy the western seaboard if something was to happen to me, but because Grover was just so utterly dorky it was funny. He reminded me of all the kids I'd befriended at my old schools. I could practically picture him with peanut butter in his hair as some bully tried to give us both swirlies. It made me smile.

The silence which fell over us now was a lot more peaceful, but it was hard for me to relax. Though I did suddenly realize how exhausted I was. That made sense. Zeus has ripped me out of bed to accuse me of thievery; I was running on like 4 hours of sleep.

Grover saw me yawn, and gave me a sympathetic look, "I've checked the whole train for monsters. You'll be safe if you want to sleep."

Sleep was tempting, but I worried what I would dream about. I doubted they'd be very pleasant. My mom was dead, after all, and I may-or-may not have been dreaming about Kronos for weeks. There was no way my dreams would be restful.

"Thanks, but I'll stay away. Demigod dreams… sometimes it's more restful not to sleep, you know?"

Grover nodded. Then he flushed bright red, and reached into the bag next to him. I got nervous for a second, but he just pulled out a pair of reed pipes. There were a few satyrs at school, though I'd never really known what they did. Now that I thought about it, though, I'd seen them in the strawberry fields with Mr. D, playing the reed pipes. But was Grover trying to make me grow? Because that would be weird.

"My momma goat, she used to play me this one song whenever I had a nightmare. I've used it before on demigods. Of course Annabeth was only seven then but…"

I was vaguely surprised that Grover had known Annabeth when she was a kid, but it was usual for kids to come to AA so young, so I suppose everyone knew her. It was actually a cute thought, little Annabeth listening to a lullaby to keep nightmares away.

I yawned once more, and left my pride behind. Grover said there were no monsters on the train, but we might very well run into some once we got off. I could use a few hours of sleep if I was going to fight. "Alright. It's worth a shot."

Grover's song didn't sound much like a lullaby at first. It was rough, high-pitched, and made my head hurt. But I forced my eyes shut, and it must have worked, because I fell asleep and didn't even dream.


	13. At Least I'm Not A Tree

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not updating. I literally have no excuse. It's all written and sitting on my laptop, but I just forget.

Chapter 13-At Least I'm Not A Tree

Grover woke me just as we pulled into the train station. Since neither of us had bags, we climbed right off, and went to grab a cab. Nothing went wrong, which Grover and I both found suspicious. Especially after I heard on the cabbie's radio, "Rescue workers are racing to provide relief after the duel earthquake-tsunami near Los Angeles."

I gulped, and glance over at Grover. He looked nervous, and promptly stuck my coke can in his mouth. I just stared as he ate it. Man, satyrs were weird.

It started to pour. A crack of thunder echoed across the sky, making Grover and I jump. But no lightning followed. How could it? Though it made me wonder, "I thought thunder was caused by lightning. How can you have one without the other?"

Grover just gave me a 'seriously dude' look, and glanced out the window.

The path to school grew more rural, the road turning to dirt. That proved to be a problem. The pounding rain had turned the dirt to mud, and a quarte mile from school the cabbie stopped, telling us, "Sorry boys, but I'm gonna get stuck if I go any further. Can I bring you somewhere else?"

"We'll just walk," I told him with a sigh. This was bound to go poorly, but we didn't have a lot of choices. Until I was back at school, I wouldn't be safe. So I just paid the cabbie and climbed out.

The rain was freezing. Something told me Zeus was the only thing keeping it from flat out snowing. Snow, after all, was pleasant. This rain, which clung to my hair like icicles, was not. Grover seemed more bothered by it than me. As the rain flattened his hair against his head, I spotted two little horns. He pulled a cap from his pocket and tried to hide them, but the wind just knocked it off. Grover had to chase after it, revealing an awkward gait. When he returned, he was bright red, "Ah, sorry."

"Dude, it's cool. Don't be so embarrassed. So you're part goat and run funny. I'm part god and blow up bathrooms. It happens."

Grover seemed surprised by my frank assessment, but bleated (quite literally) his thanks. I smirked. Honestly, I decided I liked this nervous satyr after all, though I wasn't exactly sure how he could do any protecting. He didn't quite look like a fighter. I tried to remember if there were any myths about satyrs having super monster-fighting powers. Those would be pretty useful.

A giant gust of wind knocked me sideways, and I fell into the mud. Grover reached out and gave me a hand up. Together we pressed on, the storm growing worse around us, the thunder crackling dangerously without any lightning in sight.

We were at the bottom of Half-Blood Hill when I first heard someone call out from behind us, "Grover! Grover help me!"

Grover went rigidly still, then hurried forward, grabbing my arm to drag me up the hill. I turned my head, trying to see who was calling out, but noticed no one. Still, with the rain pouring down in buckets, I could hardly see five feet in front of me. There could easily be someone else out here, some girl calling for help. She didn't sound much older than me either, so I didn't get why Grover was just ignoring her.

I pulled away from Grover, prepared to run after the voice, but he hissed, "Percy, we need to run."

"Grover! Please, help!" the voice called out once more.

A tear slid down Grover's face, or maybe that was just the rain. But he grabbed my arm and tried to continue up the hill. I was stronger than him though, and just pulled away. Dashing towards her, I shouted, "We need to help her!"

"Percy! Wait!" Grover howled, but the wind and the rain were too strong, and I could hardly hear him. Not that I would listen. All I could think about was finding this girl, saving this girl. I wasn't going to lose anyone else, not like I'd lost my mom.

"Where are you!" I called, scanning the horizon for any sign of a girl. But I couldn't see anyone. Another gust pushed me backwards, and as I stumbled, I twisted my ankle. Pain shot through me, but I pushed it back. What did it matter if my ankle hurt? My mom was dead, and I wasn't going to let Hades take anyone else from me.

I told myself rain was still water, that it was the sea pouring down upon me. It wasn't entirely true, but I felt a surge of power anyways. Suddenly, I could see around me, and I noticed a form coming at me from a distance. Figuring it was my girl, I dashed towards it full speed. I drew Riptide, preparing to fight whatever was chasing her. Anger and power swirled within me, ready to do anything to protect this girl.

I could dimly hear Grover calling after me, but I was too focused on my target. Yet as I approached it, I realized something was wrong. The voice I'd heard calling was that of a young girl, but the person before me was tall, giant actually. I skid to a stop, but the muddy ground beneath me didn't hold, and I fell once more. The towering figure finally came into view, and my heart stopped. It wasn't a girl at all. No, it was a lumbering man, tall, burly, and in the center of its face, a single green eyeball.

It smiled at me. "Hello, brother. I shall eat you now in the name of Poseidon."

I heard the clomping of hooves- Grover must have lost his shoes- and from behind me the satyr called, "Percy, it's not a girl. Thalia is dead! And the only one who knows that voice is…AHH!"

Grover froze when faced with the cyclops. Thank gods he did, though, because his arrival was just the distraction I needed to scramble to my feet. The mud made it difficult, but I refused to die lying down. A voice in my head urged me to give up, give in, die so I could be with my mother again. But I knew that wasn't what she would want, and quite frankly, it wasn't what I wanted either. I wanted to live. I wanted to fight.

"Hello Grover," the cyclops chimed, still using Thalia's voice. "Five years I have waited to eat you, but this time there are no little girls with knives."

I remembered Annabeth telling me she'd once saved Thalia and Luke by stabbing a cyclops in the foot. It had been a good plan, for a seven year old, but it wasn't going to help me now. I would have to do this the old-fashioned way.

I drew Riptide, and slashed at the cyclops. I had hoped it was too busy looking at Grover to pay me any attention, but I wasn't that lucky. It saw my blow coming, and swung its long, clubby arms. My sword scraped against its side, but its arm hit me like a club, and I went soaring. Riptide flew from my hands, landing on the other side of the cyclops. There was no way I was getting to it; I would have to hope it would reappear in my pocket soon. Until then…

Grover was still standing just a few feet away from the cyclops, staring in horror. I shouted, climbing to my feet, "Grover, run!"

"No! Grover called. I'm not letting you sacrifice yourself for me. Not again!" Grover shouted back.

I wanted to scream at him for being stupid, but instead I just screamed, "No! We're both going to run. Come on! No one else is dying today!"

 Grover seemed able to get onboard with that. He took off running, and despite his awkward gait, he was fast. The cyclops smiled widely, glad to have a fight. It reached down, making a ball out of the mud and flung it towards me. I dashed to the side just in time. You wouldn't think mud would make a very good weapon, but the speed these balls were going, I knew they'd knock the wind out of me at the least. I just had to run, and run fast. Once I made it past Thalia's tree, I would be safely at school. The daughter of Zeus had sacrificed herself to protect Luke and Annabeth, but her magic would protect me as well. Even from death, she'd thwart this cyclops's plans.

Little bit of advice- if you're ever running from a monster, don't run straight. Sure, it's faster, but it's also the best way for them to hit you with something. And don't just run in a perfect 's' either. They'll notice after two seconds and just throw where you're going to be. Dash fifty feet to the left, then run diagonally twenty feet to the right, and then backtrack five feet. You'll look stupid, sure, but you might just live.

I ducked and bobbed around, all the while making my way up the hill. I was mostly focused on not-dying, but I kept looking over to make sure Grover hadn't gotten himself in any trouble. Actually, the half-goat seemed to be making good time; I guess hooves are good for something. He was further up the hill than I was. Soon enough, I was only ten yards away.

"Ah! Grover, help me!" I called, except, of course it wasn't me calling out. The cyclops, it seemed, could do multiple voices. It took even me a moment to realize that though, and it slowed me down. Suddenly I turned to see Grover was still running, but in the wrong direction. He was heading towards the cyclops.

"Grover, I'm over here. Just keep going!" I shouted, but the wind and the rain were too heavy for him to hear. Son of Poseidon and all, I could see through the rain a lot better than Grover. He had no idea I was alright, and he was running back to save me.

_He's a protector. It's his job to protect you, Percy. Just make it over the border and you'll be safe. There's no point in dying with him._

I cursed the little voice in my head, and promptly ignored it. I turned around, running towards the cyclops. Mid-charge I realized Riptide had probably returned to my pocket, and pulled her out. Honestly, I probably looked pretty stupid running down the hill, slipping and sliding in the mud, sword in my hard, yelling "AHHHHH" into the blistering wind. But it certainly got the cyclops's attention. It turned away from Grover and picked up a big rock to toss at me.

A knot formed in my throat, but I didn't stop or hesitate. I continued my charge, holding Riptide level. Only at the last second did I swerve to avoid getting hit. I came upon the cyclops from the side, swinging Riptide with all my might. The cyclops was so surprised, it didn't have time to respond. It vaporized on the spot.

"Thank… thank you," Grover stammered, eyes wide.

I smiled at him, "Hey, I wasn't going to let him eat you. Then I'd have to become a vegetarian, and that would be a major buzz-kill."

Grover clearly didn't know how to respond to that, so he just bleated. I clapped him on the back, and returned to climbing up the hill. Now that the battle was over, the rain didn't seem to energize me anymore. Maybe it was my lack of sleep, or the power exerted in the battle, or maybe the earth itself was trying to suck me down, but it was a lot harder to climb Half-Blood Hill than it should have been. Finally though, we made it to the top. I caught sight of Thalia's tree in the distance, standing guard forever and ever. I didn't know whether to feel grateful for her sacrifice, or just sad. Her dad had broken his oath, same as mine, but Thalia had suffered for it. My mom had suffered for it too. As for me…

I was safe for the moment, but I doubted it could possibly stay that way.

It never rained at school. Annabeth said it had something to do with the magic borders, but the weather always seemed clear and fair. Sure, we got just enough of a chill to watch the leaves change, but not more than that. As for rain, that we never got any of.

Until that day. As we neared the main school building, I realized the rain hadn't lessened or stopped. That certainly wasn't a good sign. If the magical barriers were letting the weather in… well that meant Zeus had ordered them too. The thought left my stomach twisted in knots. If Zeus could get his storm across the camp borders, what was to stop him from just killing me in my bed?

"Chiron wanted me to bring you to the Big House when you got here," Grover admitted. "But maybe Apollo House should take a look at you first."

I frowned, "Why? I'm not hurt."

Grover looked at me like I was crazy, and I realized, he was right. I was hurt. Now that I thought about it, my ankle throbbed where I'd twisted it, and since the cyclops had clubbed me right in the ribs, that explained the splitting pain in my sides. I wondered how I hadn't even noticed. Adrenaline I guessed. Wow. That was… that was kind of scary, actually.

"They'll just give me ambrosia and nectar," I told Grover, forging ahead to the Big House. "I'm sure Chiron will have the same, and I just want to get this over with."

I noticed a few people glancing out of their house as I passed, but no one came out to greet me. That left a sour taste in my mouth, but I tried not to think too much about it. Instead, I tried to plan what I would say to Chiron. He'd be mad I'd snuck onto Olympus, but he was usually pretty fair. I hoped he'd believe I was not a thief. But if Mr. D was there as well… well I'd seen him on Olympus, and he'd done nothing to support me. In fact, he was the one who'd pushed my dad, dropping hints to force him into claiming me. No, Mr. D was no friend of mine. He hated all demigods on principle, which was ironic, because if I remembered right he'd started life as a demigod.

But maybe that's why he hated us. Maybe seeing us reminded him of how hard life had been before he was a god. If I remembered right, Hera had tricked his mom into getting herself killed. Dionysus had only survived because Zeus sewed him into his leg… which was weird. But that meant Mr. D knew what it was to lose your mom to the jealousy and bickering of the gods. Maybe that should have meant he'd be understanding, sympathetic even, but bad memories make people do all kinds of crazy things. And Mr. D was also the god of insanity.

I hoped for about .2 seconds he wouldn't be there, but the moment I crossed the threshold of the house, I saw Mr. D and Chiron next to each other, arguing. They went silent when they saw me, but that just proved I had no luck at all. Not that I really needed any more evidence at that point.

Chiron looked relieved, and smiled at me. He was in wheelchair form, and rolled over. "Percy, my boy, I am glad to see you are alright. You as well, Grover. Why don't you go clean up? Percy shall be alright from here on out."

I doubted I would be 'alright', but Grover looked nervously over at Mr. D, so I felt bad for the guy and told him, "Thank again, Grover. It was nice to meet you."

"Yeah… you too Percy," Grover nervously said, and then the satyr proceeded to flee from the Big House, leaving little hoofprints of mud on the ground. Suddenly, I was alone. It occurred to me that if Mr. D killed me now, Chiron would be the only witness, and what could he do against a god? But Chiron, at least was pretending not to look worried, which I guess was good enough for the moment.

"Here, eat, you'll feel better," Chiron said, offering me a square of the godly food. I nibbled on it cautiously, because Annabeth had once said too much ambrosia could cause demigods to spontaneously combust. But nothing like that happened. The godly food tasted wonderful, like my mom's blue chocolate chip cookies. Except the thought of my mom made me sad, so I finished the square slowly, and looked for no more.

The food did make me feel better though. I was still sore, but I didn't feel as if I'd been hit by a truck… maybe just a car, or even a bicycle, if I was being positive. At least I could move without feeling as if my whole body was about to fall apart. That was a good thing for sure.

"Come, Percy. Sit down so we may talk."

Chiron's voice was calm, pleasant. Mr. D's expression was not. I was vividly reminded of the fact that Zeus was his dad. The expression upon his face reminded me distinctly of my interactions with the stormy king of the gods. I just knew this was going to be a mess, but I didn't have any choice but to shuffle in behind Chiron and sit down. The whole time Mr. D glared at me. I couldn't help it; I met his gaze and held it. Sure, submission would have been the smart thing to do, but the gods were bullies. They were powerful bullies, sure, but I wasn't going to let them get away with it anymore than I'd let Clarisse.

Mr. D, much to my surprise, didn't kill me for my insolence. He just sat back in his chair, breaking off eye contact, and said, "So, you're alive. I suppose that's good news for you. As for the rest of us, it means a great deal more trouble. It would have been much more considerate for you to have died."

Chiron sighed, seemingly exasperated, but even he could only contradict the god so much. Instead he just said, "I am glad to see you unharmed, Percy, but I must ask what happened. I awoke this morning to all my students having been kicked out of Olympus, and the news that you stole Zeus's Master Bolt."

"I didn't steal it!" I said. I was starting to sound like a broken record, but what else could I say? It was the truth, even if no one else wanted to believe it. "Look, I'll admit to sneaking onto Olympus. I needed to know if I was right, if Poseidon really was my father, so Annabeth lent me her cap, and I went. Zeus even thought it was funny at first! Then all of a sudden I'm being dragged from my bed at spearpoint and called a thief. Zeus didn't care about the truth. None of the gods did! My father only claimed me so Zeus couldn't just kill me on the spot!"

"Are you accusing the King of the Gods of being unfair?" Mr. D asked, leaning over the table and staring down at me.

Once more I met and held his gaze, saying, quite simply, "Yes, I am. He wasn't fair. None of you were."

Mr. D smirked, and sat back. "I won't disagree. Frankly, I would have been glad to see one less half-blood wandering the earth, and I think my own punishment is proof of my father's fairness. A hundred years at this school over one little nymph- can you believe it!"

I never thought I'd say this, but Mr. D was right. His punishment was unfair. Except it was unfair to us, not to him. (Well, maybe I was mad enough at Zeus to sympathize with even Mr. D a little.)

Chiron said nothing. I didn't quite understand his relationship with the gods, but he at least seemed to believe me, "Very well. What happened afterwards? How did you come to be so… bruised."

The story spilled out. I told Chiron about the pearls and appearing in my apartment. I told him about the confrontation with Gabe, and going to the diner with my mom. My voice choked up a little bit as I tried to explain the attack in the train station, I couldn't bring myself to actually say the words 'and they killed my mom'. I just skirted around it, though from the sympathy in Chiron's eyes, he clearly understood. I explained how I'd met Grover on the train and decided it couldn't hurt to trust him. How the storm had broken down the taxi and we had to walk. I confessed to being tricked by the cyclops, and the fight. When I was finally done, I found my mouth dry and my hands shaking.

Chiron broke off another little piece of ambrosia and offered it to me. When I bit down, it tasted almost bitter. I supposed, now that my mom was dead, her cookies couldn't do much to help me anymore. I was on my own.

"Percy, I am terribly sorry about your mother. She sounds like a very brave woman and to lose her now… I am sorry. The creatures you describe sound like the Kindly Ones, Hades's servants. The Lord of the Underworld has never been friend to his brothers' children, but knowing both Zeus and Poseidon broke their oath… I suspect it has caused him great anger. Had you not come immediately back here, you would likely have died alongside your mother."

I knew that. I'd known that since I'd first heard about Thalia. That didn't make me feel any better though. I was alive. My mom and Thalia weren't. If I ever left school again Hades would continue trying to kill me, and Zeus certainly wasn't innocent either. That had been no normal storm slowing me down. Maybe Zeus was too cautious to bring himself in direct conflict with Poseidon, but he'd certainly not hesitated to help Hades kill me.

"Unfortunately," Chiron continued, looking grave. "This matter shall not be resolved until the true thief is found. I must ask you Percy, did you notice anyone else acting suspicious during your time on Olympus? Is there anyone who might seek to frame you."

I paused for a moment, thinking. Unfortunately, I couldn't come up with anything. We'd all been together all day. After I crashed the trip, the house heads has stepped up their attention, and made sure no one else did anything problematic. Even Luke, the most laid-back head-of-house, had almost killed Travis and Connor for trying to steal from one of the merchant stalls. I didn't see how anyone could have stolen the Master Bolt without the rest of us noticing. Besides, even if someone had, surely it was impossible to hide Zeus's lightning bolt beneath your bed, and no one would have had time to stash it somewhere else.

"I don't know who did it, Chiron. I really don't. But it wasn't me."

Chiron studied my face for a long time, but finally nodded. "Very well, then. For now, we must simply hope this matter resolves peacefully. As for you, Percy, I think it would be best if you went to Poseidon House and rested. Ambrosia can only heal wounds with time."

A chill crept down my spine. Poseidon House. I had been thinking all morning about how it would be nice to return to Hermes House, to relax with Luke and laugh at his siblings' antics. But I wasn't going to. I'd been claimed, and my godly parent had his own house. It was just that no one had lived there in sixty years. I couldn't imagine the cobwebs. I couldn't imagine the loneliness.

In the end, it turned out that there weren't that many cobwebs. I suppose as I was fleeing for my life from monsters, Chiron had set the cleaning harpies to making the place livable. Someone had even brought over most of my things from Hermes House. They sat in a box by the doorway.

It was nice, I guess. The place smelled like the cabin in Montauk, though the joyous memories that evoked were dimmed by the ever-present ache of my mom's death. Past the main corridor, there was a little kitchenette, a lounge, a bathroom, and a few bedrooms. Since I was the only son of Poseidon, I had the whole place to myself. Never again would I be fighting for hot water in the shower, or awoken by the chaos of fifty kids in a building meant for 10. But the place felt cold, empty, and miserable compared to Hermes House. The only thing I liked about it was that it overlooked the beach. I'd have no trouble sneaking down to my father's domain from here… except knowing it was my father's domain made me not want to even look.

What I wanted most of all was to see Luke, so I was thrilled when he showed up at my doorstep with a few things the harpies had forgotten. Neither of us said anything at first. Instead a cold silence spread over us. I wondered if he was mad at me. He'd told me not to go to Olympus, that I was better off not pushing the question of my father. Last night on Olympus he'd mostly ignored me, just shaking his head. I'd attributed that to him being busy as a chaperone, but what if it was more. What if he was angry at me for not listening to him? If he was, I didn't know what I'd do. I was lonely enough in this house. If I lost my friend as well…

Finally, my voice cracking, I asked, "Are you going to say 'I told you so'?"

Luke leaned up against one of the walls, but shook his head. "No. Of course not, Percy. I'm not glad that I was right. I wish, for your sake, that I'd been wrong. I'm mad, but not at you."

"You're mad at the gods?"

Luke laughed, a humorless, dark laugh. "Aren't you? First Poseidon abandons you. Then Zeus tries to kill you. And your mom…. Gods, Percy, I'm so sorry. Chiron told me the Furies killed your mom, all because Hades is mad at his brothers? It's sick. They're gods. Masters of the Universe. But they act like children. They fight. And they kill. And we're always the ones who pay! Of course I'm angry at the gods! I have every right to be. We all do."

Luke words got under my skin, mostly because they were true. Every god I'd met so far had tried to kill me simply for existing. No… that wasn't true. "I'd love to see Zeus and Hades pay, but my dad's not like that. He's in trouble now too for claiming me, but he did so to save my life. He only left to protect me. He cares about me."

Luke looked out the window towards the sea. Then he sighed, "Percy, I'm sorry. I forget how much younger than me you are. When I was your age… well I wanted to believe my dad cared as well. But Percy, it's a lie. Poseidon doesn't care about you. If he claimed you, it wasn't to protect you, it was because he's trying to use you. I guarantee it. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But he's going to ask something of you, and it's going to get you killed. Maybe then he'll be kind enough to turn you into coral or something, like Zeus was to Thalia."

The bitterness in Luke's voice was unmistakable. It made me nervous. But at the same time, I got it. I really did. What happened to Thalia was terrible, and Luke had been her friend. And from the way he said her name… I almost wondered if she'd been more than just a friend to him.

Which meant, as Luke's friend, I needed to tell him the truth about earlier before he heard it from someone else. "Luke, earlier today, Grover and I were chased by a cyclops. It was Thalia's voice. It said it had been chasing Grover for five years. I think… I think it was the cyclops that got Thalia killed, so I wanted you to know I killed it. It won't be impersonating her again."

I expected Luke to be relieved. Instead he just looked sad, "Yes it will, Percy. Monsters aren't like us, remember. When we die, we're just dead, but monsters… you kill them and they just come back. Maybe it takes five years. Maybe it takes fifty. But someday they all come back."

It almost made me wonder what the point of fighting them was then. If they were just going to come back in the end… but no. Maybe the monsters would just come back, but we still had to fight them. Otherwise we'd die, and that was one thing I was not willing to let happen.

"Well, at least Hades knows I won't be so easy to kill. He can kill my mom. He can send his monsters after me, but I'm not going to lay down and die."

Luke frowned, deeply. Then he shook his head, "Never mind. It was just a stupid thought."

"What?"

Luke was torn. Obviously he wanted to tell me, or he wouldn't have said anything at all, but there was some part of him, probably the 'adult' part in him which thought I was better off not knowing. But everyone had said I was better off not knowing who my father was, and look where that had gotten me. Luke must have agreed, because he finally admitted, "Percy… I don't know how to tell you this, and I don't even know if it means anything, but cyclopes… well they don't work for Hades. There are some that are rogue, and Zeus controls some, but if this was the same cyclops which fought us years ago… well Hades wasn't the only one trying to punish Zeus through Thalia. Poseidon was as well. Cyclopes work for him, Percy. Most of them are his children with nymphs or whatever. I mean it has to be a coincidence but…"

I shook my head cutting him off. No. I refused to believe my own father was trying to kill me. "Poseidon claimed me so Zeus didn't kill me. What would be the point of killing me now?"

Luke shrugged, biting his bottom lip, "I don't know Percy. Maybe your dad has decided you are a thief. Or maybe he just thinks you're not worth going to war over. If he was to kill you, Zeus and Hades would let him off the hook for breaking his oath. But I don't want you getting upset. It could just have been a coincidence."

He was saying that, but I could tell Luke didn't believe it. Luke had a lot more experience with the gods than I did. Had Zeus turned Thalia into a tree because he couldn't save her, or because he didn't want to? If I was to die, all my dad's problems would simply disappear. Things could go on as they always had. Actually, it seemed to me like the smartest thing Poseidon could do was kill me. If affection was the only thing stopping him… well he hadn't seemed very affectionate on Olympus.

Luke came over and grabbed my shoulder, squeezing it tight. Our eyes met, and there was a promise in Luke's gaze as strong as his words, "Percy, I'm not going to let the gods use you and throw you away. I swear on the River Styx, I will make this right, for you, for Thalia, for all of us."

A few weeks ago, after a rather unfortunate accident in Hermes House, Luke had given us all a lecture about not messing with oaths. Styx wasn't a dainty naiad; she was a primordial goddess. The disaster that was my life proved they were to be taken seriously. I was shocked that Luke would make such a promise. But I was happy as well. It was good to know that Luke was sticking by my side no matter what. Even if I was forced to live all alone in Poseidon House, I was still apart of his (dysfunctional) family. My mom was gone, but I didn't feel


	14. Everyone I Know Betrays Me!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was gonna put the real NYPD tip line in this chapter, but decided I didn't want to get in trouble if someone thought it would be funny to call. I don't think any of you would, but I don't need the worry. Anyways, enjoy!

Chapter 14- Everyone I Know Betrays Me

Since Luke was cool with my dad being Poseidon, I'd thought everyone would be cool with it. But it only took until dinner for me to realize that was not the case.

If Poseidon House was lonely, at least there were no rules against me going and hanging out with the Hermes kids. Sure, I'd gotten some odd looks, plus Connor and Travis were disappointed to discover I hadn't stolen the Master Bolt, but all and all, it was no big deal. I just chilled like I would have if it was any other day.

But at dinner I had to sit all by myself at the newly christened 'Poseidon' table. Now let me tell you, there is a reason the whole 'kid sitting alone at lunch' is the cliché for the kid who's miserable at school. There is nothing so utterly depressing as sitting there with nothing to look at besides green beans, and no one to talk to except for your magical goblet. Maybe if I was the reading type it wouldn't have been that bad. I could almost see Annabeth liking it. But for me, it was torture. Especially because I could hear everyone else laughing and having a good time with their housemates.

My real crisis at dinnertime, however, came when I was supposed to make my offering to the gods. Somehow, the whole five minutes I waited in line for my turn, I didn't think about what I was going to say. The offering had become such a habit, I hadn't thought about it. But things were different now. I couldn't just drop in something juicy and pray for a sign. I'd had my sign. I knew without a doubt that my father was Poseidon. Problem was, that didn't mean I knew who he was. Was he the brave, handsome, kind man my mom had long described? Was he just a dead-beat who cared only enough to keep me alive? Or was Luke right. Did my own father want me dead so his life would be easier? I didn't know. I had no way of knowing. But if my dad was trying to kill me… well it felt wrong to give him burnt offerings.

I couldn't quite bring myself to curse him either, though. Not like Luke did. So instead, I let my desperation drive me. Forgetting about my father completely, I dropped in my juiciest morsel into the fire and whispered, "Okay Hades, you want to punish me, fine. But bring back my mom. Please. Just bring her back."

Yeah. I had a pleasant dinner all by myself after that.

Zeus must have calmed down some, because the rain turned to snow while we ate. Therefore after dinner Ares House organized a Snow Ball War (because fights, obviously, are a little too peaceful.) But at this point… well things got odd.

"Percy, you're on my team," Clarisse seemed to spit the words, bubbling anger behind them, but they surprised me none-the-less.

"Ah, you don't want to take this opportunity to murder me?"

Clarisse rolled her eyes, "Look, you're a dweeb, but this is war. And Ares is behind Poseidon, which means we're behind you. Once this is over, then I'll murder you."

What do you say to that? I think I just muttered something like, 'okay' and went to ask Luke what team the Hermes kids were fighting on. But before I could get to him, Luke shouted, biting anger in his voice, "I'm only saying this once. Hermes is neutral! Connor, Travis, let's go home."

I didn't have a clue what that was about, and I didn't get a chance to find out. The snowball war quickly began, and I had to duck and dive to keep from getting murdered. It seemed I was a prime target. (Gee, that's new.)

It was Poseidon, Ares, Apollo, and Aphrodite verses Athena, Hephaestus, Dionysus, and Demeter. Without the Hermes kids picking a side, we were pretty evenly matched, and I had a great time. No one around me, however, seemed to be enjoying themselves. The Apollo kids had the best aim, but the Hephaestus kids were inventing snowball cannons on the spot. I like to think we won in the end, but Chiron called a draw as curfew closed in.

I was happy enough not to mind that I was going home alone, but then I spotted Annabeth. A twinge of guilt coursed through me. I hadn't even thought to ask her how she was doing, but it probably wasn't good. If Zeus thought I'd used her hat to steal his Master Bolt… well she'd be in trouble.

"Annabeth!" I called out, dashing to catch up with her. At that point, I discovered she was avoiding me, because she immediately started walking faster. My heart dropped, but I went to her anyways. "Annabeth, wait, can we talk?"

She stopped, turned, and crossed her arms, "I don't have anything to say to you."

That stung, a lot. It was one thing to get clubbed by a cyclops, but I liked Annabeth. Besides Luke, I'd almost say she was my best friend, and while I didn't like to think about it, Luke was a senior. Once he was gone… Annabeth would be all I had left. If she didn't want to be friends with me anymore… that stung.

"Look, I'm sorry if you're in trouble. I didn't mean… I didn't mean to make your mom mad at you."

"In trouble!" Annabeth threw her hands in the air. It would have been funny if her expression wasn't exactly the same as Athena's when she'd woken me up for my 'trial'. The resemblance left me nervous.

"Percy, I'm not 'in trouble'. I'm banished! My mom said if I ever stepped foot on Olympus again, she'd throw me out. And she took my baseball cap because I'm not 'wise enough to know who to trust'. Do you know what it's like to have your mother, the goddess of wisdom, tell you you've been duped? Tell you you've been used? That you're _stupid_?"

I didn't. Perhaps I'd just never put much stock in my intelligence. I'd always known I wasn't the smartest guy around, so it didn't bother me that much. But it was different for Annabeth. She'd always been the 'smart girl'. Her whole identity was built around that, around being the proper daughter of Athena. For her mom to reject her like that… Well, let's just say I'd rather my dad trying to kill me than _that._

"Annabeth, I'm sorry." I didn't know what else to say, and my voice cracked as I did. Really I felt terrible. Sure, it wasn't my fault. I hadn't done anything wrong, unless you counted sneaking into Olympus, but that had been Annabeth's idea. Still, it didn't matter whether or not I'd meant to ruin Annabeth's life. I had. I'd made a complete mess of it.

Annabeth shook her head, "Sorry doesn't cut it, Percy. Look, if it counts for anything, I don't think you stole the Master Bolt. I think you're being set up. I think someone is trying to start a war between the gods. But look around you. Whoever did this- they're getting exactly what they wanted. That wasn't a snowball fight, it was us renacting the war our parents are planning. It's the Trojan War all over again, gods, mortals, demigods- we'll all going to have to pick a side. And Athena and Poseidon will never be on the same side, so it's for the best if we just accept that. Alright? If you need help with homework, come find me, but at least until the lightning bolt is found, we can't be friends."

"But why should we hate each other just because our parents do! Why should we fight their wars? If you think your mom is wrong, just say so. Do what you think is right!"

Annabeth looked at me like I had grown two extra heads and turned into a hydra. Then she just sighed, "You're a good guy, Percy. But they're the gods, and that's just the way it is. I can't go against my mom. I'll see you around."

Annabeth ran off, leaving me stunned and alone in the snow. How could Annabeth, the smartest person I know, be so utterly stupid? The gods weren't right just because they were gods! Why should we fight for them when they were wrong? Shouldn't we be better than our parents? Let them learn from our examples?

I just shook my head. This was exactly the kind of thing Luke talked about when he said demigods were just the pawns of their parents. And he was right- I hated it. It was wrong. We were people, real people. We shouldn't live and die for our parents' causes. If we were going to fight, let it be for what we believed in. Not just because our parents told us to.

I said as much to Luke the next day, to which he firmly replied, "Why do you think Hermes House is neutral?"

Unfortunately, while Hermes House housed half the school, there was little sanity to be seen. Especially as everyone came back from break and discovered what had happened. The first week of school after break, it was impossible for teachers to get through their lectures.

First, Michael Yang, a four-foot-tall terror from Apollo House, and six-foot-six Seneca Trow of Athena House got in a shouting match at lunch. Later that day, every single member of Athena House was in the infirmary with an arrow sticking out of their heel.

In response, Athena House created an effigy of Apollo, tied it to a chariot, and dragged it across the school. I hadn't actually read the Iliad, but it didn't matter that Annabeth wouldn't speak to me. I still knew these kids were literally acting out scenes from "The Iliad." That did not seem like a good omen.

Then the Aphrodite kids got involved. If you want to learn how to be petty, ask a child of Aphrodite. Someone on 'team Zeus' thought it would be funny to steal my clothes during swim practice, so when I came out, all I had was a prison jumpsuit in my locker. Kerry and Silena went ballistic. I told them it was fine, just a harmless prank, probably Connor or Travis's idea, but they were taking it as a personal insult on their ally. The next day, classes were cancelled. The reason- every time one of the boys from 'team Zeus' tried to put on his pants, the pants promptly turned to doves. I don't have a clue how they did it, though rumor had it Lou Ellen was looking into financing a Hecate cabin with her newfound wealth.

Of course I was the primary target, but I could deal with that. It hurt a little bit to know that Annabeth was helping her siblings torment me, but beyond that… well what was a little mayonnaise in my sheets, or a shower filled to the brink with dead fish?

Actually, I was more bothered when someone on "Team Poseidon" decided to get their revenge by spray-painting obscene images onto Thalia's tree. I chewed out the Apollo cabin over that, but even Luke wouldn't look at me that day. I swear I saw Annabeth crying.

But I really knew someone hated me the day I woke up to a newspaper on my doorstep. There on page 3 was the headline

**No Clues In Sally Ugliano And Son's Disappearances**

**Weeks into the search for Sally Ugliano (37), and there had been no sign of the Manhattan woman. Mrs. Ugliano disappeared during the early morning of December 22 after a violent confrontation with her son, Percy Jackson, (12). According to Mrs. Ugliano's husband, Gabriel Ugliano of Manhattan, "The kid's always been trouble, but I never thought he'd bring a gun home. Where does a twelve-year-old get a gun? Then I find him sneaking into the house with it, middle of the night, and next thing I know my Sally is gone."**

**The police have confirmed that Mr. Jackson is wanted for questioning in his mother's disappearance, but they are also attempting to deduce if criminal elements are responsible for both mother and son's abduction. Anyone with information regarding their whereabouts are urged to call 1-800-555- _TIPS._**

The tip line was underlined, but I crumpled up the paper and tossed it out without looking. Anger burned within me. My mother was dead, and Gabe was pretending I'd done it. The man who'd beat my mother was accusing me of kidnapping her at gunpoint and murdering her. There was a part of me that seriously regretted not hurting him that night. But there was also another part of me that just cried at this stark reminder that my mom wasn't just waiting for me at home- she was gone, forever.

I always had bad dreams, but that was the first night since the solstice I'd dreamt of the Pit.

There were no crabs this time, no Luke either. Instead I just stood at the edge of the pit. The moment I realized what was happening, I tried to run away, but it was as if time slowed around me. I couldn't move. I couldn't leave. I was stuck. The only thing I could do was stop struggling.

"What do you want from me!" I shouted to the Pit. (I couldn't bring myself to name just who was inside. If the gods were scared of Kronos, I knew I should be as well.)

The Pit seemed to laugh. In my head, I chanted 'Wake up, wake up, wake up', but it was no use. I was stuck there, completely trapped by the voice below.

"Why do you keep bringing me here! I'll never help you!" It sounded stupid once I said it. Like the kind of thing a child would say. But I suppose, compared to the ancient Pit itself, I was very much a child. And I was very, very small.

"I did not bring you here, Son of Poseidon. I do not have that power. It is your own mind, your own soul, that brings you to me. The gods will kill you the moment they get the chance. Even now, your father plots your destruction. I am your salvation. Bring me the bolt, and I shall save you and your mother. You shall reign together over the sea. Fail, and you shall never be reunited, not even in death."

I woke up sweating. It was after six, but from the sound of it, not even the Apollo kids were up yet. In the middle of January, sun itself did not bother to rise this early. Still, I didn't stand a chance of falling back to sleep. Not that I wanted to. All I wanted was to forget my dreams, as I once had. But now… I'd dreamt Poseidon was my father and ignored every sign of what that would mean. I could not make the same mistake again, but that meant I couldn't forget. I couldn't be naïve. Not about anything.

I crawled out of bed and took a long shower. My mind spun, so much so that, at one point, I'd stopped getting wet, and failed to notice for five minutes. Once I finally managed to reel in my abilities and wash the shampoo from my hair, I stepped from the shower, certain of nothing but this- I needed to talk to Luke.

Hermes House, since there were so many of them, always had to wake up the earliest to get ready for class. Sure enough, when I arrived, the place was packed and bustling. Laurel and Holly Victor, daughters of Nike, were bickering furiously in the doorway, but I didn't dare stick around to find out why. Celia greeted me, not even mentioning that I didn't still live there, before pouring a glass of water on Connor's head and pulling her scarf from his hands. I just nodded a hello and wandered up the stairs.

Luke was in our (or I suppose now just his) room. He must have been prepping for room inspection, because he kicked a backpack under his bed when I entered. The expression on his face was so sour, it made me wonder if I should come back another time. But it was too important. I'd been too frightened to ask Luke about my dreams for weeks, but if he knew something… I needed the truth. If there was one thing this whole fiasco with my father had proven it was that deception is great- while it lasts. Once the gig is up however…

"Luke? Are you working for Kronos?"

I'd been practicing how I was going to phrase my question the whole time I showered, but let me tell you, that was not what I'd prepared. I'd meant to be subtle about it, understanding and cautious. But faced with Luke, I could feel my hands shaking. (Anger? Fear? Apprehension?) My impulsiveness won out. I just wanted the truth.

Luke, of course, immediately froze. He didn't say anything at first, just walking past me to shut the door, and then closing the blinds on the window. I didn't know what good that would do. No one in Hermes House ever came into Luke's room; it was a solemn rule. And if he was trying to keep the gods from spying on us… I don't think doors or blinds kept them out.

"Warn a guy next time you're going to talk treason, Percy," Luke sighed rubbing his face. I'd noticed a while ago that he always seemed to rub the scar beneath his eye when he was really angry or really scared. I didn't know which one I'd made him. It made me nervous though.

"Does that mean it's true? You're working for Kronos?"

Luke leaned against the wall, and carefully stated, "Zeus cut Kronos to bits and cast him into Tartarus millennium ago. How could I work for him?"

I realized it was a test. Luke wanted to make sure I wasn't just stabbing into the dark. He wanted to know what I knew. I didn't quite know why. Maybe he was trying to protect me. Everyone seemed to think ignorance would. But it hadn't so far. So I hoped Luke would trust me, just like I trusted him. "I saw you, a few months ago. You were talking to this giant crab, but the voice wasn't a crab. It was Kronos. I didn't know that then, but I mentioned it, on Olympus. Zeus flipped out."

"You told Zeus I had been talking to Kronos!" Fury and anger burned in Luke's eyes. Terror as well.

"No!" I quickly told him, shaking my hands. "I didn't tell him you were there. Zeus thinks I'm working for Kronos! Or at least he did. My father might have convinced him it was just a dream, but it wasn't, was it? I've dreamed of Kronos a few times. And I think you have as well. Please, Luke. I don't know who else to trust. What is happening to me?"

My voice cracked as I spoke. I couldn't help it; I was terrified. Everything I knew about Kronos was how evil he was. Sure, when he ate his kids in the beginning of the year play, that was funny, but the titans weren't a joke. And Kronos was the worst of them all. But the scariest bit? I was more afraid of what the gods would do if they knew about my dreams than I was of Kronos himself. Zeus would kill me for sure, and I didn't think my father would even try to stop him.

Luke came over to me, placing one hand on my shoulder and squeezing it tight. I remembered that night a few weeks before, the sheer determination in Luke's eyes as he swore on the River Styx he'd help me. I saw that same determination now, and it relaxed me some. That was why I'd come to Luke. I knew, whatever he was doing, he was doing it for me. For all of us.

"The day we first met, not five minutes after, Athena shows up and gives Annabeth her Yankee's cap. I've always been a little jealous of how a good a mom Athena is… relatively speaking of course. Only thing my dad ever gave me was a quest that almost got me killed. He'd never sent a birthday card, never mind a gift. I was madder that night than I'd been in a long time. And then I had a dream. Demigod dreams, just another curse from our parents. They're never just dreams. In this dream I was on the edge of Tartarus, and Kronos called out to me. He promised me that if I served him, he'd make the gods pay. Make my father pay. I… I was tempted, I'll admit it. I listened. I didn't make any promises, but I listened."

A chill crept down my spine. I knew how angry Luke was with Hermes. The guy had been pretty rotten to him. But hearing Luke admit to wanting his father to hurt… it scared me. Not because I didn't get the desire, but because I did. There was a part of me that wanted to see Zeus pay, see Hades pay. And if my father had ordered the cyclops to attack me… what kind of father tried to kill his own kid?

Except Kronos had as well. Half the gods' issues seemed to stem from their father eating them as babies. I wasn't so sure Luke had found the lesser of two evils, but I was willing to hear him out, "What did he tell you to do?"

"Nothing- at first," Luke shrugged. "He just told me the truth, reminded me of all the little juicy details about the gods they don't like to teach us here. Did you know Apollo once shot an arrow that destroyed the entirety of Sparta? 20,000 people died in one day. He didn't even have a reason for being mad. He just didn't like the Spartans. And the Trojan War started because Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite all wanted to be told they were 'the fairest'. You're taking World History right now. Did Mr. Shepherd mention your dad causing the Bronze Age Collapse? Who else would have sent the "Sea People"? It was so bad the Greeks forgot how to write within one generation! I could go on, but I won't. Suffice it to say everything wrong with this world-it's the gods fault. And nine times out of ten, they're using their children to do their dirty work."

I felt sick. No, I'd never been told any of that, but I believed it. Most of mythology was the gods messing things up and heroes dying to fix it. I doubted much had changed in the last three-thousand years. But still, I didn't know how Luke helping Kronos could fix that. He was the father of the gods. All their bad habits came from him.

I gulped, and pushed Luke further, "But… but Luke. I remember you and the crab… you and Kronos were talking about... He said if I didn't join him, he'd kill me."

Luke's expression darkened. It was clear he had hoped I had forgotten that. And I had, for months, but it came back to me now.

Luke bit his lip, and shook his head, "It's not like that, Percy. You only heard part of the conversation. I've told you- I'm not going to let anything happen to you. Yeah, things changed once you came to school. I guess that's when Kronos first realized you existed. Percy, there's a reason the eldest gods swore never to have any more kids."

"Yeah. Something to do with us starting World War II," I muttered. Suddenly I wanted to check and make sure my brothers had been on the Allied side. If I was related to Hitler… Not cool.

But Luke surprised me by shaking his head, "No, Percy. That's what they say, but it's only half true. We're not supposed to talk about it, but Zeus warned Thalia once, years ago, and she told Annabeth and me. There's this prophecy that says the next child of the Big Three who turns sixteen will have either save Olympus, or destroy it. That's why they killed Thalia. That's why they're trying to kill you. They're scared of you."

I felt like I was going to be sick. What? How had no one ever told me? Now I got why Chiron always looked at me like I was already dead- I was. "So that's it! The gods want me dead because I might turn on them? Don't they get that trying to kill me only makes me hate them more!"

Luke shrugged, "They don't care. It doesn't matter whether or not you'll betray them if you never make it to sixteen."

"But Kronos could protect me... You're working for Kronos to protect me. That's what you meant by 'making it right'." I was beginning to understand, even if the words made me feel dizzy. Kronos, the evil titan, would save me by killing the gods? It was… it was too much. But a thought crossed my mind, one that practically stopped my heart.

"Luke. Did you steal Zeus's Master Bolt? Did you frame me?"

Luke went very still. I couldn't tell if that was an admission of guilt, or if he was just shocked that I would accuse him. I was shocked myself. I wasn't in any danger until the bolt disappeared. If Luke was doing this to protect me, why had he almost gotten me killed? It made no sense

"No Percy. I didn't steal it," Luke finally said, and I breathed a giant sigh of relief. I don't really know why. I was still in grave danger. But if Luke, my best friend, had set me up… it would have crushed me. But he said he hadn't, and I believed him. Of course I believed him.

"Kronos asked me to steal the Master Bolt. I told him no. He must have gone to someone else. Honestly, Percy, I actually thought you had done it."

I was glad Luke wasn't willing to get me killed just to hurt his dad. But it still stung he thought I was a thief. Then again. I'd accused Luke of stealing it as well, so I supposed it was only fair.

"But if it wasn't you and it wasn't me, who did it?"

Luke shrugged, "I don't know, Percy. Not for sure. But I know this- it would impossible for someone to steal it without the help of a god. You saw how tight security was on Olympus. The gods would have had to be majorly distracted for someone to just walk out of Olympus with the Master Bolt."

But that made no sense. Kronos wanted to destroy the gods, didn't he? Why would another god help him… Unless Kronos had promised them something in return. But who? I didn't know the minor gods well enough to know who would have the power, and all twelve Olympians had been there when Zeus accused me.

Luke's face went dark, "Percy, I have a question. When Zeus accused you- was Hades still there?"

My blood went cold, and I shook my head. No. He wasn't.

Luke bit his lip. "Hades hates the other gods more than we do, and Tartarus is in the Underworld. Kronos and he may have struck a deal. Hades power comes from the dead. If there was a war…"

Hades would benefit more than anyone else. It made sense, a scary amount of sense. And since Hades was Lord of the Dead, it didn't matter that he had no living children. He could probably send ghosts to do his dirty work. It made enough sense, that I almost believed it. Except…

"But Luke, Kronos came to me tonight asking me to bring him the Master Bolt in exchange for my mom. If he sent Hades to steal it, why doesn't he have it already? Why does he think I have it?"

Luke didn't seem to have considered that. I could see the gears in his head turning, but finally he suggested, "Maybe Hades isn't working with Kronos. Maybe he stole the idea and the bolt for himself. Hades is the oldest son. Olympus should have been his. If he can get Zeus and Poseidon fighting, they'll be too weak to stop him. Especially if he has the Master Bolt! He might have even taken your mom so you wouldn't try to stop him. If Athena wasn't so loyal to Zeus I'd say she's helping him. It's a brilliant plan."

Yeah, it was, and I felt like an idiot for not having figured it out already. Even Disney knew Hades was always the villain. Kronos was just a voice in a pit- so long as no one helped him he was powerless, just as he'd been for millennia. Hades was the real threat, but considering how much anger there was between Zeus and Poseidon, and the gods and their children, it was easy to divert the blame.

Of course, that only left me with one more question for Luke… "So what do we do? Do we tell Zeus? Cause I might not like Zeus but Hades…"

"Is worse, I know," Luke admitted rubbing his face. "But Zeus won't believe you. No, the only way to clear your name is to prove it. Percy, we need to steal Zeus's Master Bolt for real- steal from Hades, and save your mom. And we have to do it within the next ten days."

Wait. What? "Ten days! Why?"

"Chiron didn't tell you? Zeus gave Poseidon an ultimatum- return the lightning bolt by the end of Poseideon or go to war. The month of Poseideon ends January 29th. It's already the twentieth. If we don't get the bolt back then… well you've seen how messy things are just here at camp. Imagine the gods themselves at war. No, we have to go to the Underworld, and we have to do it in ten days."

I gulped. I'd never done very well with deadlines, and the end of the world was a lot more troublesome than a 5% deduction for being tardy. Never mind the fact that I didn't have a clue how we were supposed to steal the Master Bolt from Hades. Not when he had to know we'd be trying.

There was one bright side though- Luke said 'we' had to do it. Maybe I was faced with an impossible quest, but it seemed we'd be going together. If I was going to die, at least it would be with my best friend.

Yay.


	15. Annabeth's Cow Gets Eaten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all appreciate how difficult it is to write a new prophecy, but considering my whole timeline is different, and the people on the guest are different, I felt I had to. So, enjoy my attempt at rhyming!

Chapter 15-Annabeth's Cow Gets Eaten

At most schools, you need permission slips from your parents to go on a field trip. According to Chiron, we needed a prophecy. I guess that's sort of like a permission slip signed by Apollo, but it was a lot creepier.

Luke and my discussion had gotten so intense we missed breakfast. When we showed up at the Big House, Chiron looked annoyed, and was prepared to send us to class, but I blurted out, "Hades stole the Master Bolt, and I'm going to get it back."

Fear and pride mingled within Chiron's eyes. He didn't smile, per say, but I could tell he was thrilled by my words, even if he was nervous. I didn't blame him. I'd almost died getting back to school-I'd probably die long before I reached the Underworld- and Chiron didn't want to see that. Still Chiron has been training heroes for as long as there has been heroes. He knew that every hero died eventually. Better to die trying to save the world than die when the world ends, and since those were ultimately my choices, Chiron was willing to let me try. But only if the Oracle agreed.

Which is how I ended up standing in front of a mummy instead of in math class. I was all alone, according to Chiron, this was my quest, so I had to seek out the Oracle's advice. Personally, I thought that was unfair. The quest was Luke's idea, after all. He should have had to go talk to the mummy while I gathered everything we would need on the journey. But no. Put the twelve-year-old in charge of stopping a war between the gods. That's bound to end well.

"Hello. Ms. Oracle?" I cautiously asked, stopping just out of reach of the mummy. Luke had warned me what I would find up there, but it was difficult to prepare yourself for something so ugly. Especially because I'd seen 'the Mummy' a few too many times. It didn't matter that the Oracle was just a shriveled husk and bore no real resemblance to the Egyptian kind which littered my childhood nightmares. I knew without a doubt that I was looking at something that should be dead, and it was terrifying. Especially when it, she, began to move.

She stood straight up, turning to face me with sunken eyes. But she didn't say anything. Instead, she just stared at me. I realized I needed to ask her a question. But it was hard to ask 'How do I stop Hades from starting a war between the gods?' when looking at a dead body. The words seemed to stick to my tongue. But I knew I wasn't going anywhere without a prophecy, and so I had to ask something. I doubted 'Who will win the Super Bowl?" would be enough. I still couldn't bring myself to say Hades in front of a dead person though. It was too creepy.

Instead, I asked the Oracle the one thing I really wanted to know, "What am I supposed to do?"

For a moment, the Oracle just stared through dead eyes. I wondered if the question was too vague. Did I need to ask something more specific? Or maybe I could just go downstairs, pretend to have gotten a prophecy, and then leave. It wasn't like I didn't now the plan. Go to the Underworld. Don't die. Save Mom. Retrieve Master Bolt. Return bolt to Zeus before there is a war. The End. I didn't know what there was this Oracle could tell me I didn't already know… Well, actually, I did, but I knew mythology well enough to know I probably didn't want to know whatever the Oracle had to say.

I was about to give up, go downstairs and make up a prophecy, when suddenly mist began to stream out of the Oracle's mouth. I won't say I yelped like a little girl at the surprise of it, but, well, I did. Especially as the mist began to swirl around me to form images of a pinochle game played by Mr. D, Chiron, Grover, and some random girl my age with spiky hair and a fearsome look.

Mr. D opened his mouth first, green smoke billowing out as he said, "You shall be led west by the hero spurned, Only two overcome the hate justly earned."

To his left, Chiron, in wheelchair form, continued. "The ancient children you will reawaken, But death if they are not forsaken."

Grover was next, and bleated, "The Son of Poseidon and his brotherly foe, Shall duel for the bolt in the land below."

Finally the girl looked at me, and I had the strangest feeling I was looking in the mirror. I didn't know the girl, but I did at the same time. At least, I suspected who she was- Thalia- the ever-present fear of how my story would end. When she spoke, it was almost as if she was smiling, glad to know I'd join in her terrible fate, "The losers prize, the Moirai's curse, The winner's prize, a fate much worse."

The pinochle table disappeared, and the green fog receded into the mummy's husk. She turned from me, sitting back down upon her stool. Then she was still, as if she hadn't moved at all,

I ran downstairs as quick as I could manage.

Don't ask me how, but Luke had somehow managed to pack us two backpacks worth of supplies while I was upstairs. The real surprise, however, was the girl standing next to him, backpack slung over her shoulder, knife hanging from her belt. Annabeth. I hadn't spoken to her since the vandalism of Thalia's tree, but when our eyes met, I knew exactly why she was there. No one at AA wanted to go on a quest more than Annabeth, and everyone knew it.

So I didn't ask why she was there. Instead I just told them, "You realize we're probably going to get ourselves killed before we make it off Long Island."

Annabeth rolled her eyes, "Don't be absurd. Argus will drive us into the city. We'll be in New Jersey by the time anything tries to kill us, Seaweed Brain."

I hated that nickname, but it occurred to me that Annabeth hadn't used it since finding out my dad was Poseidon. In a strange way, it felt like a gesture of peace. If we were friendly enough to insult each other, I guessed we were friends.

"Did the Oracle give you a favorable prophecy, Percy?" Chiron inquired. I was grateful that he was in centaur form at the moment, because if he'd been in his wheelchair he probably would have looked too much like green-oracle-fog-Chiron for my personal comfort.

"Yeah, favorable for sure," I answered, chuckling nervously. In truth, I didn't have a clue what the prophecy meant, but the bits and pieces I did understand… well, they didn't sound very good. At least the prophecy didn't include the word death. Wait. No. It did. Yeah, it was definitely not 'favorable'.

I could tell they were waiting for me to tell them what it meant. But a part of me worried Annabeth and Luke would back out if they realized whether or not I won the battle for the bolt, I was cursed. On the bright side, the prophecy didn't seem to imply anything terrible happening to them.

"I don't know, it was long and rhymed. There was a bit about going west, I'm assuming the Underworld is in the west?"

"Los Angeles," Luke told me with a nod. "D.O.A. records."

I wondered how Luke knew where to find the Underworld, but didn't ask. I had a suspicion it had something to do with Hermes being the only god who could come and go from the Underworld freely, and Luke hated having to talk about his father.

"Right, well we have to go west, and apparently I'll duel someone for the bolt 'in the land below' which has to be the Underworld, so Hades definitely is the one who took it. So, if we're all ready, we're on a deadline."

Chiron was not happy with me. Finally though, his frown turned sympathetic, and he reached out, squeezing my shoulder, "Well, I would advise you not to concern yourselves with the Oracle's words. Prophecies are necessary to shape the future, but they can only be understood in retrospect. It is wise to focus on your mission. I need not express how important it is that you retrieve the bolt before the end of Poseideon, for I have full confidence you will succeed. And worry not. I will have your classmates collect all your homework while you're gone."

Wow. Quests to save the world, it seemed, did not count as excused absences. There went my hopes of winning 'perfect attendance'.

I hadn't asked when Annabeth first mentioned him, but Argus turned out to be a guy with eyes on the back of his head. And the back of his hands. And covering every inch of him. It was hard not to stare, and no matter what part of him you looked at, you were caught making awkward eye contact. I decided to sit in the seat right behind him to keep from being able to stare. Luke took shotgun, leaving Annabeth to join me in the back seat.

As we set out for Manhattan, I finally got the chance to talk to her, but I didn't quite know what to say. Finally I settled on the simple, "I'm glad you're coming."

Annabeth shrugged, "I'm not here for you. I had to sit back and let Luke go on a quest alone once. I wasn't about to let that happen again. Besides, clearing your name means clearing mine as well. If I return Zeus's lightning bolt, my mom might realize I am wise and give me my cap back."

I didn't get Annabeth sometimes. She was smart, probably the smartest girl I knew, but sometimes she just acted so dumb. To me, it seemed like the opposite of wisdom to dislike someone just because your parents didn't get along. Sure, the whole school had been doing the same thing for weeks, so I was used to it, but I guess I just expected less from them than I did from Annabeth.

But I figured Annabeth wouldn't take it very well if I pointed out how stupid she was being, and I didn't want her to quit on me now. So I did my best to be nice, "Wise Girl, when we return Zeus's lightning bolt your mom will be so impressed she'll give you a cap and a jersey."

Annabeth raised one brow, "Wise Girl?"

I blushed. I hadn't even thought about the nick-name before I said it, but it was the best response to 'Seaweed Brain' I could come up with. (Which probably proved that I did have a seaweed brain, because it was pretty bad.)

Annabeth rolled her eyes and pulled out a map of the United States. I looked out the window, wondering how it could be so gorgeous outside when the gods were less than two-weeks away from an all out war. But it was beautiful. The sun shone. Birds flew by. I even spotted a bald eagle soaring west towards the horizon. It almost felt like a good omen.

Argus dropped us off right at Penn Station. Chiron had suggested we take a train to Los Angeles, because apparently Zeus would smite me if I tried to fly. Now that we were there, though, I felt sick. Penn Station was the last place I'd seen my mom. The place Hades had taken her. (I refused to say the place he killed her. She wasn't really dead if there was a chance I could bring her back.)

"We should take a bus, not the train," I suddenly announced.

Annabeth and Luke looked at me like I'd lost my mind. Annabeth pointed to the ticket booth where a calendar clearly marked it as January 20th. "A bus will take at least a day longer."

My bad feeling didn't counter that argument very well, so I dropped it. Ultimately though I won out. The school had given us $200 each. It felt like a lot of money to me, but it turned out in the real world $200 was nothing. The train to Los Angeles was double our budget, and even taking the bus, we only had enough money to get to Denver, Colorado.

"Wait, Luke, you're eighteen. Can't you just drive?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes, "We don't have a car. Chiron won't let people take the vans on quests because they get ruined. Besides, Luke doesn't have his license."

I just gave her a look. At that moment, I happened to notice two 'Missing' flyers for my mom and me. They made me cringe, but also proved my point, so I grabbed them and handed them to Annabeth. "I'm wanted for questioning in my mom's murder, remember? I don't think Luke having a license will be our biggest problem if we get pulled over."

Annabeth blushed a bit at that. Luke shrugged but said, "Still, we don't have a car and I can't rent one without a license."

I looked down at the flyer. Suddenly I had an idea worthy of Athena. With a smirk, I asked them, "Anyone above stealing my abusive-stepfather's Camaro?"

Surprise, surprise. They weren't. So we took a cab over to the electronic mega mart where he worked. Sure enough, the car was there. Hermes was the god of thieves, so I figured I could just describe Gabe so Luke could grab the keys from his pocket. Turns out we didn't even need to do that. Before I could say a thing, Luke had hotwired the car, and, to top it off, he found another car in the lot just like Gabe's and switched the plates. I didn't even ask how he knew how to do that. I didn't figure he'd appreciate it if I did.

Within the hour, we'd grabbed some pizzas and hit the road. Annabeth sat up front with Luke, the two of them bickering over radio stations. I stretched out in the back of the car, stomach full, and content. I almost could have fallen asleep, but there was one thing nagging in the back of my head. As we crossed into Pennsylvania, I finally got up the courage to ask.

"What's the Moirai's curse?"

I happened to ask just as Luke was trying to change lanes. I started him so bad we almost got squished by a semi-truck. It wasn't until the blaring horns ceased that Annabeth turned to face me, biting her lip, "The Moirai is another name for the Fates, but I've never heard of their curse."

From the driver's seat, Luke suggested, "It could just be a curse in general. Someone's fate is the curse."

Silence fell over us for a second. On the radio, some country singer was singing about Jesus taking the wheel and idly I wondered what she'd think of a Greek demigod driving instead. Then I decided that made no sense what-so-ever and just confessed what they wanted to know, "It was part of the prophecy. 'The Son of Poseidon and his brotherly foe, Shall duel for the bolt in the land below. The losers prize, the Moirai's curse, The winner's prize, a fate much worse.'"

I don't know why I decided to tell them. I guess I just felt safe in this car. It smelled horrible, like Gabe, but the scent reminded me a bit of my mom too, strange as it was. And Luke and Annabeth… they'd agreed to come on this quest with me. They'd literally agreed to walk into Hell (Hades, whatever), with me. How could I not trust them?

"Like Chiron said, Percy. Prophecies are impossible to interpret until after they've been fulfilled," Annabeth weakly offered. "At least we know that we'll find the bolt. For the moment, that's all that matters."

Luke offered me a reassuring smile via the rear-view mirror, "Besides me, you're the best swordsman we've got. If anyone can beat Hades it's you, Percy."

"Yeah, and then I'll get something worse than a curse," I muttered. Annabeth and Luke surely heard, but considering there really wasn't much to say…

Annabeth turned back up the radio. I didn't get her obsession with country music. I supposed it had something to do with her being from Virginia. But the next song was about some girl losing all her clothes when she drank tequila, and it made me feel strangely better. At least I was more put-together than that.

Three hours later, we pulled into some random town on the edge of Pennsylvania. I spotted a cemetery, but before I could react Annabeth shouted, "Ghost cow, Luke!"

Luke glowered. Annabeth cackled evilly. I just sighed, "506 cows Annabeth, 78 cows me, 0 cows… CHURCH! HA! 156 cows Percy!"

If Luke hadn't been driving, he probably would have slammed his head against the wheel. Luckily for him, we didn't pass any more cows, cemeteries, or churches before pulling into the rest stop.

My legs were like putty as I stepped out of the car. The farthest I'd ever driven before was five hours to my old school in Syracuse, and most of that had been traffic. We'd now spent all day in the car, but on the bright side, we were making remarkable time. If we continued at this rate, we'd be in LA within two days. Taking someone who could drive with us was definitely a smart idea.

Since we didn't have the car keys, we didn't lock it, just took all our bags, and prayed no one stole our stolen car. Then we waddled into the rest stop. The smell was incredible. If anything could make McDonald's taste better than it usually did, it was having spent seven hours in a car with only one bathroom break. I quickly went pee, and then got in line for a juicy Big Mac. With bacon. I couldn't even remember if Big Macs had bacon, but I wanted some.

Annabeth got in line for the Subway, which proved there was something wrong with her. Besides me, Luke looked tired. I could tell the driving was taking its toll, but he offered me a cheeky grin. "I think we should keep going until we reach Ohio. I bet motels are cheaper there."

I didn't get a chance to reply (or get my Big Mac). From the other side of the rest stop, I heard Annabeth shout, "Luke! Percy!"

The panic in her voice was unmistakable. I drew Riptide as we pushed through a crowd of schoolchildren. When we got to the other side, I saw what had caused Annabeth to scream.

Standing in the middle of the rest stop was a giant dog. I don't mean like St. Bernard giant. I mean the size of an elephant, with teeth bigger than me. In its mouth was a very unlucky cow (I decided that it was one Annabeth's, not one of mine). The real kicker- the dog was standing right on top of Gabe's car. Or what was left of Gabe's car. Now that the dog had stomped all over it, it looked more like a pile of scrap metal.

I didn't get a chance to bemoan our only method of transportation, however. At that moment, the hellhound finished off its cow, and looked in the glass doors of the rest stop. I hoped it was just deciding whether or not Big Macs tasted better than fresh cow. Instead, it seemed to decide that demigod tasted better than either.

It charged. I have no idea what the mortals saw as a giant dog came smashing through the rest stop doors, but they all screamed and fled towards the emergency exits. The hellhound ignored them, turning quickly to lunge at me with its giant teeth. I jumped to the side, slashing Riptide, but the dog was surprisingly fast. Some whiskers the length of my arm fell to the ground, but the hellhound was undeterred.

While it was busy trying to eat me, Annabeth snuck beneath it and stabbed it in the foot. It didn't do much to hurt the hellhound , but it distracted it. I managed to get out of the way of its teeth by jumping behind the Subway counter.

The smell of meat must have confused it, because it turned away from me and charged towards Luke. He was fast, dashing out of the way, jumping over tables and chairs like they were nothing. I supposed after five years of training this was no different than the usual Tuesday obstacle course. But at school we might get bruised if we faltered. Out here, in the real world, we'd get eaten.

I didn't wait for that to happen to Luke. I jumped up on the counter, screaming something heroic like "For the Big Mac!" Before charging at the hellhound . It rounded about to swat me with its paw, but Annabeth distracted it by throwing a stool at it. I ducked beneath the monster and slammed Riptide up. It vaporized immediately.

In the distance, I heard sirens. None of us needed to ask what we did now; Annabeth and Luke took off running. I cast one longing look at the half-destroyed McDonald's, and cringed at the sight of Gabe's ruined car. Then I followed behind my friends. When the cops came, I didn't need to be there.

We finally stopped running outside what looked like a YMCA. Even after months of rigorous training, I was breathing heavily, and doubled over in pain. Even Luke looked winded. For a minute, we didn't speak, just tried to catch our breath. Then Luke swore and punched the brick wall besides us.

I was startled by this show of anger. Don't get me wrong, I was scared, and it stunk that we'd lost our ride. I didn't have a clue what we were supposed to do now. Maybe we were close enough to afford a bus, but I didn't know how we'd pay for food if we did. Besides, if a hellhound could wreck Gabe's car, what was to stop some monster from wrecking a bus. This was no coincidence. Hades was sending his monsters to stop us. But that just meant they'd keep trying. We hadn't even been gone from camp for a full day. There was no way we'd make it all the way to LA, and I didn't want to get someone killed trying to take public transportation.

Still, while our situation stunk, but it was just plain unnerving to see Luke loose it like that. He was our 'adult supervision', the only one who'd ever been on a quest before, the guy who should have it together. If he thought we were in trouble, that meant we really were.

Annabeth reached out, laying a hand on his back. "Luke, relax. We'll figure it out. It's just like the old days, right? We'll be fine."

"Thalia died in the 'old days', Annabeth," Luke snapped. Annabeth and I both flinched at the bitterness of his voice. I didn't have a clue what to say.

"I'm going to go see if there's someplace cheep for us to spend the night," Luke sighed, wandering off into the Y. I considered following after him, but decided to give him space. Besides, Annabeth looked like she shouldn't be left alone. Her lip was trembling, and I pretended not to notice her fighting back tears.

"Hey, like you said, it will be okay."

But she shook her head, looking towards the moonlit sky. "He's right though, Percy. It's the same story, playing out again. Except Thalia was fleeing California. We're literally walking towards the god who wants to kill us. And at this rate, we'll have to walk."

"We'll find a way. If we have to, we can just steal another car." It felt wrong stealing from someone who wasn't Gabe, but considering the fate of the world rested upon our quest, I figured we could justify it.

"Look, I don't have anything against stealing, but a trail of stolen cars across the country, that will get messy. You need to do something to keep Hades off your trail, and I know just the thing."

I jumped at the voice, drawing Riptide and turning quickly. I probably would have decapitated our visitor if not for months living in Hermes House. Luckily I recognized the impish figures in time not to make (another) enemy of a god.

"Lord Hermes!" Annabeth nervously stammered. She glanced over her shoulder, looking towards where Luke had disappeared. "What are you… Luke's inside! I'll go get him."

Hermes frowned, "No, don't. It's best is I don't see Luke. It's that one I want to talk to."

He pointed at me, and for a second, his eyes seemed to glow. Annabeth faltered. My heart pounded. Instinctively, I stammered, "I didn't steal it!"

Hermes rolled his eyes, "I see why you keep a daughter of Athena with you. Please, I'm the god of thieves. I could name every piece of candy you stole from your mom's store just by looking at you, but I know you didn't steal Zeus's bolt."

I breathed a sigh of belief. It was always nice when people, especially gods, believed me. They were less inclined to kill me then. (Except for Hades. Hades knew I was innocent and still wanted to kill me.) But if Hermes knew I was innocent, why was he there?

Annabeth asked an even smarter question, "Lord Hermes? Does that mean you know who stole the Master Bolt?"

Hermes's expression grew dark, and he glowered at her. "Believe it or not, we gods are not omniscient. If I laid eyes upon the thief, I'd know them, and then I'd have to tell Zeus, wouldn't I. Sure, I have my suspicions, but if I'm not sharing those with my father, I'm certainly not about to share them with you."

I hated his tone. Annabeth's question had been perfectly fair; he didn't need to make her feel stupid about it. In less than a minute, it was perfectly clear why Luke hated his father so much. The guy was a major jerk. I found myself gripping my fists and wondering how bad an idea it was to punch one of the few gods who believed me.

"But I'll say this. Whoever stole the bolt will need to bring it to the Underworld eventually if he wants to start a proper war. Every enemy of Olympus is in the Underworld. Your quest may be stupid, but it's not dumb. So I've decided to help you out. As the god of travelers, it's my prerogative to permit safe passage along the road. In the old days you had to be a Roman citizen to get such a blessing, but now, well the rules are a bit more lax. If you were to do me a favor, I could be convinced to help you."

I gritted my teeth and snapped, "Luke's your son and you shouldn't want to see him get eaten. I'd think that's a good enough reason to give us the blessing."

Hermes literally wagged a finger at me, glaring all the while. "That's exactly the reason I can't. And if I was you, I'd be careful. I'd hoped you would take after your father's calmer side, but you sound an awful lot like my son. If you give me a reason to think you've been a bad influence on him… well perhaps Zeus and I should have a little conversation about demigod dreams."

It was a threat if I'd ever heard one, and made my blood run cold. Annabeth gave me a questioning look, but I just ignored her. Somehow I doubted she'd understand if I told her Luke and I had both been visited by Kronos. Besides, I wasn't going to give Hermes the satisfaction of knowing he'd gotten under my skin.

Hermes frowned, and sighed. "Walk with me, Perseus Jackson. And we'll discuss what you can do in exchange for my protection."

I didn't see that I had much choice, even though Annabeth clearly didn't like splitting up further. So I shuffled after Hermes. Once we were out of Annabeth's sight, Hermes pulled his phone out of his pocket. Then he proceeded to drop it into a snowdrift. Dramatically he said, "Oh no. I've lost my symbol of power. How shall I ever retrieve it?"

For a second, I just stared at him, confused out of my mind. Then I saw Hermes waving his hand, motioning between me and the phone. Realizing what he wanted, I reached into the snow and grabbed it. Then I handed the phone back to Hermes who exclaimed in surprise, "My caduceus! Thank you Percy Jackson. You have returned my symbol of power, and to thank you, I shall bestow the traveler's blessing upon you and your companions. Until you reach your destination, you shall pass unharmed along the road."

I didn't feel any different, but maybe I was just so confused by Hermes's behavior that the blessing couldn't take hold. Finally, I stammered out, "Why did you do that?"

Hermes sighed, glancing over at the YMCA. Then he turned back to me, "Even the gods are bound by the Fates. I cannot break the rules to help you, especially not while you travel with my son. But I more than most need Zeus's bolt returned without bloodshed, and so I will help you in the only way I can. All I ask in return is that you be a true friend to my son. Don't just agree with him. Challenge his beliefs. Make him a better person. I can't interfere directly, but that doesn't mean I don't care. So this is me interfering indirectly. We all do it. For your darkest hour, your father gave you those pearls. I'm giving Luke you."

Before I could ask Hermes what he meant, the god disappeared. At that very moment, I saw Luke coming out of the YMCA, Annabeth by his side. His eyes immediately fell upon me, and the empty space where his father had been. Even from a distance I could see his gaze fall. His father had explicitly avoided seeing him, and that had to sting. But as I thought about Hermes's words, I wondered if maybe he'd done that for Luke's sake as well.


	16. Shout Outs and Call Outs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus points to anyone who can catch all my little references in this chapter. I had way too much fun with it, I'll be honest. Enjoy!

Chapter 16- Shout-Outs and Call-Outs

The Traveler's Blessing turned out to work in a very particular way. It guaranteed we'd always find someone to carry us closer to our goal, but as for the type of transportation... Well, it wasn't picky. We spent the next four days crisscrossing the country, fighting monsters, and generally getting into messes. I'd like to give some shout-outs right now if that's okay with you guys. I feel like it's a pretty good way of summing up what could have been a book in itself.

First shout out goes to the receptionist of the Butler County YMCA, Janice. When Luke told her our circus caravan had left us behind after the rest stop exploded, she didn't even question him, just gave him directions to the nearest motel. The place was rented by the hour, and I'm not quite sure how Janice knew about it, but hey, it was cheep.

We had some Chinese food delivered to the room and then promptly crashed. It wasn't until the next morning that I realized I needed to tell Luke about my conversation with his father, but he didn't give me much of a chance. I couldn't mention Kronos in front of Annabeth, and so Luke made sure she was always there. I didn't know why he was avoiding the conversation, but there wasn't much I could do about it.

That next day, the 21st, we found a trucker heading towards Chicago. Joey would be my next shout-out. The guy was hauling an eighteen-wheeler worth of opioids, and apparently that was the legal side to his business. The illegal side apparently included shipping three teenagers in exchange for a small white pearl from my pouch. He even threw in Burger King and some donuts, so all-and-all I'd consider him a pretty stand-up guy.

In Chicago, we discovered that the Traveler's Blessing wasn't quite as effective in hiding us from monsters as Hermes had implied. See if any monster was tracking us, well then the blessing would confuse it, keep it off our tails, but your normal run-of-the-mill monsters who just hung around major cities looking for half-bloods to eat… well it did absolutely nothing about them. So when Luke ordered a venti cappuccino at a Starbucks in Chicago, he got a Roman storm spirit instead. In his monologue before he tried to kill us, the spirit (who called himself Dylan), informed us that venti didn't get out much, but Zeus was promising tickets to an "Apollo and the 9 Muses" concert to anyone who killed me and made it look like an accident.

I managed not to die, obviously. But if you happen to visit Chicago sometime soon and notice a few broken buildings… blame Luke. It was totally his fault and not mine. For sure.

After wrecking downtown Chicago, we got pizza for lunch (again), and stowed away in the back of a train which was supposed to be going to Tashville, NE... At least I thought it said Tashville, Nebraska. Honestly, that's what they get for putting the dyslexic guy in charge of reading the listings! (Alright, we were all dyslexic, but still. Can't I get some an award for being more dyslexic or something?)

Tashville, NE turned out to be Nashville, TN. Which, admittedly, makes more sense, but put us solidly lost and off track in the middle of the night. At this point, Sergeant William Crawford Smith, Annabeth's brother, gets a shout-out. Sure, he fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War, which made us all a little uncomfortable, but at least when he built a replica Parthenon in Tennessee he had the foresight to design it so any child of Athena could get inside no matter what. I've gotta say though, I didn't sleep very well with a forty-foot tall statue of Athena glaring down at us. Every time I was close to sleep, I imagined the statue coming alive and spearing me straight through.

We also fought a hydra in Nashville, for the record, but the hydra doesn't get a shout out. Annabeth would get a shout out for killing the Hydra had she been willing to steal statue-Athena's spear to do so, but since she wasn't, I get that shout out instead. Go me.

The hydra decided to attack just as the replica-Parthenon opened for the day. Our fighting of the hydra, therefore, attracted quite a bit of attention. We got arrested at this point, and the cops quickly figured out who I was. When I couldn't tell them where my mom was, things got pretty messy. Fortunately, Luke picked the locks on our cells freeing us. Unfortunately, at that point Luke and Annabeth convinced me I should dye my hair blond so we'd all look more like siblings.

I'll admit it. I cried a little bit, but you would too if you saw me. I looked that bad.

From Nashville we made our way to Wichita, Kansas. We're going to do rapid shout-outs here, so I'm sorry if I forget anyone.

Here's to Bucephalus the horse, who made room in his trailer to take us across Missouri. He didn't even poop on us once. Turns out I can talk to horses… and give them constipation. Go figure.

Shout out to Lila and Lola of Springfield, Missouri for saving Bucephalus from the glue factory. Generally I don't approve of blowing places up, but no one got hurt, and Bucephalus didn't get turned into glue. They also introduced us to a buddy of theirs, Alex, who agreed to drive us to Wichita.

Alex doesn't get a shout-out because he tried to mug us at gun-point once he realized I was carrying a whole bag of pearls. Annabeth, however, does get a shout out for knocking Alex out and hog-tying him in the back. I don't have a clue where she learned how to hog-tie, but it was pretty impressive. Luke then drove us to Wichita.

In Wichita two Canadians chased us into the Museum of World Treasures. By Canadians I mean more of my half-brothers, the Laistro-something cyclopes. But Annabeth and Luke called them Canadians, so I figured I could as well. I've gotta say, when my brothers are trying to eat me, I'm not very concerned about offending them.

Major shout out to Ariel of Wichita, Kansas. I thought we were about to get a whole group of school-children eaten, but all of a sudden their teacher, a forty-something soccer mom, pulled a spear right out of the Ancient Greek exhibit and stabbed the cyclopes. Then she brought her four kids to four different after-school activities, tended to the rather-unfortunate gash in my leg, and baked us a spinach casserole.

I'd be lying if I said she didn't remind me a lot of my own mom. The ache in my heart that night should have kept me awake, but I guess I was too exhausted. I slept like a rock, and felt quite refreshed in the morning. And my mood was definitely helped by Ariel taking all the money from her kids swear jar and using it to buy us bus tickets to Los Angeles.

No, we didn't just ride to Los Angeles. That would have been way too easy. We missed our connection when we got distracted in Colorado Springs, but it wasn't our fault! As Annabeth would say, it was exclusively _my_ fault. Apparently I insulted the nature spirits of the Garden of the Gods by pointing out that there weren't any _real_  gods there. They didn't seem to get that we were on a timeline, and spent the next three-hours chasing us through the park.

Eventually they got bored and let us leave. Lieutenant Colonel Samantha O'Neill of Colorado Springs gets the final shout-out. A demigod daughter of Hephaestus, she first tried to arrest me, which proved I'd dyed my hair for nothing. But once we explained the situation, she had enough pity to modify a little-red-wagon that took us all the way to Las Vegas before it broke down.

At that point, it was late at night on January 23rd, less than a week before our deadline. The absolute last thing we needed was to get even more off-track, so, of course, that's what happened.

Apparently I got cold at night in the middle of the desert, so we needed to find someplace safe to stay. Dead on my feet and sick of rest stop food, I was dying for some more green bean casserole and Ariel's couch, which is not something you hear me say every day. I suppose the only benefit to being in Vegas was that there were lots of sketchy motels, but they were pretty hesitant to rent even to Luke. Finally we found a place which rent us a room, and crashed. Luke and I flopped down on one bed each, and Annabeth went to the bathroom.

I might have fallen right asleep had Annabeth not picked that moment to shout, "Seriously! You come now in the middle of a quest?"

For a second I thought she was talking to someone, but then she came out of the bathroom, and I could see it was utterly empty. So was Annabeth just losing her mind? I supposed she'd always been a little bit crazy, but this was definitely new.

"I'm going to the CVS across the street," she announced, heading towards the door.

"You can't go alone," I called out. For some reason my voice sounded extra whiny when I did. I blame the days of unrelenting travel.

Annabeth didn't seem to take pity of me. One hand on her abdomen, one on her hip, she turned and stared down Luke, "Do you remember what Thalia did to you in Lynchburg when you wouldn't let us go to alone? Because I'm just about there."

Somehow Luke managed to blush and pale at the same time. When he spoke, I swear his voice sounded like he'd been kneed in the crotch, "Percy, let her go."

Clearly pleased, Annabeth grabbed her knife and some cash, then left us alone. I just turned and stared at Luke, "What did Thalia do in Lynchburg?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know."

Silence fell over us. Suddenly I realized that for the first time since Pennsylvania, we were alone. Luke needed to know his dad was trying to help him. After our run-in with my Canadian brothers, Luke had firmly decided that my dad was trying to kill me after all. I probably would have agreed with him, but my conversation with Hermes left me with doubts. After all, if it wasn't for the Canadians we would never have met Ariel. Maybe there were better ways to introduce people than sending monsters, but the gods didn't always seem to think logically. They liked convoluted. Maybe I was just making excuses. Maybe my dad really was that bad. But if Hermes was bending the rules to help Luke, maybe my dad was bending the rules to help me.

Luke must have realized that I was about to say something, because he took that moment to turn on the TV. Suddenly before us was my mug-shot, and the news reporter saying, "Police now believe that Jackson has dyed his hair blond, and is travelling west with two unknown companions. There has been no sign of his mother, Sally Ugliano, and after statements Jackson made to the Nashville Police, NYPD has confirmed that they believe her to be deceased."

I got up from my bed and shut off the TV manually. Then I just glared at Luke. It wasn't very fair, because he wasn't the one I was mad at, but I suppose it had one benefit- he stopped trying to avoid talking to me.

"We'll get her back, Percy."

I noticed Luke didn't promise. Maybe he'd made too many promises lately and was worrying they'd start catching up to him. Or maybe he just knew it wasn't a promise he'd be able to keep. I didn't want to believe it, but chances were, my mom wasn't coming back. I knew the myths. The dead stayed dead. We'd be lucky to make it out of the Underworld alive, never mind with my mom in tow. I was too stubborn to give up hope, but it would have been the smart thing to do.

"Your dad cares about you."

Luke blinked with shock, but his gaze quickly turned dark. "Percy, you don't get it. He…"

"Maybe I don't get it, but I know he does. He told me himself. He could have made me go on some stupid quest to get this blessing, but he just had me grab his phone from the snow."

"I'm sure George and Martha liked that," Luke muttered under his breath. That didn't make much sense to me, but before I could ask about it, Luke continued, "Look, Percy. My dad's god of a lot of things-trickery among them. You can't trust anything he says."

I frowned. For a moment, I didn't say anything. I could hear my mom in the back of my head- _If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at al_ l. But the thing was, sometimes the truth hurt. Hermes had mentioned that sometimes being a good friend required stirring the pot, not just being nice and agreeing. That didn't give me any right to go and say things out of spite, but I couldn't hold back my punches.

"You're his son. If that's true, then I guess I can't trust you either."

Luke turned to glare at me, fury in his eyes. I hadn't really meant my words, but the look he gave me was so disturbing, I wondered if I should. At school they taught us we had a duty to serve our parents, but Luke had been willing to betray the gods. It had never crossed my mind that he just might be willing to betray me as well.

"I'm nothing like my father."

I knew Luke's words weren't true, but I didn't fight them on it. For a moment, silent stretched between us. A painful, tense silence that left me wondering if I'd gone too far for no real reason. Finally I sighed, and told Luke what had bothered me most about my conversation with Hermes, "Your dad knows about Kronos, Luke. He threatened to tell Zeus."

Luke paled at that. I didn't blame him. If Zeus found out either of us had spoken to Kronos, even if we'd denied him, we'd be dead.

But that left me with a burning question, "So if your dad hates you so much, why hasn't he turned you in already?"

"I doubt it's fatherly altruism, Percy. It would simply made Hermes look bad."

Maybe. But I doubted it. To me Zeus seemed like the kind of god who would appreciate Hermes's willingness to put loyalty to Olympus over loyalty to his own son. Except Hermes wasn't willing to buy favor at the expense of Luke's life. And that had to count for something- didn't it?

More silence. I wondered if the TV segment about me was over. Even if it wasn't, it was probably more comfortable to watch people talk about how I killed my mom than sit in the same room with a glowering Luke. Before I could do anything, Luke surprised me by speaking, "You know what I hate most about the gods, Percy? They talk as if none of us have a choice. 'The Fates' won't let them do this, or make them do that. But it's not true. It's just an excuse. At the end of the day, we all make our choices, and the Fates just dole out the consequences. I'm sick of being treated like a pawn. If my fate really is terrible, then I want it to be because of something I did, not because I get the blame for our parents' mistakes."

I didn't know if Luke was right. 'Free will' always seemed like a hazy thing in Greek thinking, but Chiron did say a hero's choices had consequences. It made sense for the gods' to as well, but since they couldn't die it was their children who paid.

But there was something else about what Luke had said that bothered me, "What makes you think your fate is terrible?"

His face darkened, and he looked away, out the window, "Forget it. I shouldn't have said anything."

I thought of all the times over the past few months that Luke had been there for me. I wasn't about to let him dodge the question. Not when it clearly bothered him. So I got up from my bed and sat next to him, "Luke, your dad asked me to help you, but I'm not doing it for him. I'm doing it for you. You're like a brother to me. For once, let me help you. I swear on the River Styx if there is…"

"Don't finish that sentence, Percy," Luke snapped. "Don't make oaths you won't be able to keep. I've done enough of that already."

So far as I knew, the only oath Luke had made was his one to me, the promise that he wouldn't let the gods use me up and toss me out, that he'd 'make things right'. If he didn't think he could keep that promise, well it made my blood run cold, but I wasn't about to back down. I'm stupid and stubborn like that, "I swear on the River Styx if there is anything I can do to save you from some evil fate, I'll do it."

Luke shook his head, like he couldn't believe how stupid I was. "You probably just signed your death warrant Percy. I hope you know that."

I just shrugged. I guess I was beginning to get used to the concept of my death. After all, if things went well, we'd hopefully be going to the Underworld the very next day. "Death is what makes us different from the gods. It's what holds us accountable for our actions. If helping you means I die, well, I guess that's better than dying and not helping you. So why do you think you have some terrible fate?"

I could see Luke's mind swirling. He was surprisingly smart, once you broke through his shell. "I told you my mom had issues? It's because she saw the future, my future, and it broke her. And the first time I met my dad, he told me he wanted me to have a chance to be a hero before my destiny came to pass. I guess that's the only gift he ever gave me. Since I know I don't stand a chance one-way or another, I'm not afraid to do what is necessary."

Now I understood why Luke always acted like there was an ax hanging of his head. From his view, their was. He just had to make use of what little time he had. But what I didn't get was why he could be so blind to the truth right in front of him. "Do you want to know what makes you different from the gods, Luke? You care about people getting hurt along the way. You told Kronos no because his plan put me at risk. You could have written me off, blamed Fate, but you didn't. Did you?"

"No, I didn't," Luke muttered, but he wasn't looking me in the eye. I wondered if maybe there were things he hadn't told me. But then I realized that of course there were things he hadn't told me. Luke was a complicated guy. But I really did trust him, so I knew whatever secrets he kept, they weren't going to get me killed in horrible ways.

There was nothing left to say, so I got up and left Luke to his brooding, turning the TV on along the way. I was watching some SpongeBob when Annabeth returned, looking bitter, and ducked into the bathroom. I wondered if she and I needed to have a heart-to-heart as well, but one was plenty for the day. I ended up falling asleep in my clothes, utterly spent.

The next morning, we were all slow getting ready. We knew that we were running out of time. Considering how long it had taken us to get this far without Zeus's Master Bolt, I had no idea how we would manage getting back to New York with it. If monsters could sense us, an object that powerful that would attract all sorts of trouble. Still, we had no real plan for even getting to LA, never mind getting back home. Considering how far we'd come, this last little leg of the journey should have been a piece of cake, but so far Hermes's blessing hadn't given us any grand ideas of what to do next.

Maybe he was mad at me for not doing a good enough job of helping Luke. Immediately after our conversation I'd felt good about it, but the older teen was looking particularly gaunt that morning. Somehow I knew he'd dreamt of Kronos, and whatever the Titan had said… it wasn't good.

Unfortunately, (or fortunately, if you're the 'positive-outlook' kind of guy), we didn't end up having to find a ride to Los Angeles. Just after we checked out of the motel, a long white limousine rolled in the parking lot. Now, in Vegas, you see limousines everywhere, so that in-and-of-itself wasn't surprising. But people who could afford to rent a limo didn't stay at the kind of motel we'd rented. Either this driver had seriously gotten lost on his way to Trump International, or there was something else going on.

You guessed it. There was something else going on.

The driver got out. When he looked at us, his eyes were glossy, dazed. A mortal then, under some sort of magical influence. That did not bode well. My hand went to Riptide in my pocket. Annabeth had already drawn her knife. The chauffeur didn't make any move to attack though. He simply opened the back door of the limo, and said, "The Lady will see you now."

Annabeth, Luke, and I exchanged a look. Strange occurrences like this were exactly how Hermes's blessing had been providing us transportation. It was entirely plausible that this was an opportunity to ride all the way to Los Angeles in style. I'd never been in a limo before, but I could imagine they were pretty great. Just beyond the door I could make out a cooler filled with miniature soda cans. The tempting taste of Coke spurred me on. I shrugged, climbing into the car before Luke or Annabeth could object.

The woman inside was so gorgeous, I couldn't even describe her. And I mean that literally. When I first looked at her, I thought I saw the face of my mother, but then it shifted and changed, and I was looking at that actress I liked, and then a pretty Asian woman with porcelain skin. For a moment, she even looked like Athena, but I didn't think of her as Athena. No, I knew I was looking at Annabeth in a decade. It made me blush.

Luke seemed equally beguiled, perhaps even uncomfortable. Annabeth was the least astounded, and had the presence of mind to realize just who this was, "Lady Aphrodite!"

Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, Lady of the Doves. She had the same presence to her that her daughter Kerry did, that unyielding need to please. I knew I would do absolutely anything she asked of me. It was unnerving. I forced myself to turn away and look at Annabeth instead. As I did, my mind cleared. From the corner of my eye, Aphrodite didn't look so impressive. I wondered why the Goddess of Beauty had to constantly change her face. If she couldn't be comfortable in her own skin, what sort of beauty was that?

Wow. I'd really been hanging out with Annabeth too much.

"Annabeth isn't it?" Aphrodite smiled, voice soft, light. "Let me congratulate you, Daughter of Athena. You're finally a woman."

Annabeth and Luke both blushed. I didn't get what Aphrodite meant, so promptly said something stupid, "She's twelve."

Aphrodite didn't get mad at me for stating the obvious. Instead she laughed, turning her gaze upon me. She forced me to look at her straight on, but I was surprised to discover it was no longer so difficult. Oh, she was still beautiful, but her face seemed to settle into something you'd see on the cover of a magazine. And when she frowned, it didn't do her any favors. "Yes, I suppose, for a boy, twelve is still very young. A time for the planting of seeds, not growth. But oh, I'm starting to sound like Demeter. But still, twelve… Luke, my dear, how old were you when you first met Thalia?"

Luke blushed bright red, and Annabeth looked shocked, then angry. Especially as Luke muttered, "Twelve."

A horrible realization flashed through my mind. Annabeth _liked_ Luke. He was six years older than her, but clearly that didn't matter. I wondered if Luke had any idea at all. He didn't seem to. So why did the thought of it make me so uncomfortable?

Aphrodite laughed again, shaking her head. "I love Las Vegas. So many tragic loves, but you three are my favorites! So much death. So much heartbreak. And of course, the greatest sacrifice Rome has ever seen! Oh! I'm just so excited."


	17. I Break A Perfectly Good Waterpark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so the butterfly effect deepens.

Chapter 17- I Break A Perfectly Good Waterpark (But No Hearts… I Think)

Maybe Aphrodite was excited, but none of the rest of us were. I don't know about you, but 'death, heartbreak, and sacrifice' was not exactly what I wanted in a relationship. I'd never put much thought into would want of course, but certainly not that. Aphrodite could keep her tragedies. I was more of a comedy guy myself.

Aphrodite managed to calm herself, though she was still smiling, "Of course, I'm getting ahead of myself. For today, we'll have to stick with our planting. You see, Hades has had a rare stroke of genius and is about to ruin my plans, again. I've spent centuries punishing him for actually getting Persephone to love him, but this time I shall not permit him to ruin my story!"

Luke was apparently sick of Aphrodite's ranting, because he interrupted, sounding vaguely annoyed, "You have a quest for us then?"

Aphrodite glared at him, but then just let out a little 'tisk-tisk'. " Quest is such a grand word. This is more of a task, and it's not for you. I only need Percy."

"Me?" I didn't like being singled out by gods ever, but it seemed especially dangerous to be singled out by the goddess of love. If she asked me who I liked or something I wouldn't even know what to say. I hadn't put much thought into it.

But Aphrodite didn't ask that. She just continued to smile, "Yes. Hades has sent his Kindly ones to extract a rather dreadful young girl and her utterly delectable little brother from the Lotus Hotel and Casino. You must go and ensure that does not happen. If Hades's plan for these children was to come to fruition, not only would Olympus itself fall, but it would completely upset my OTP."

I didn't know what an 'OTP' was, but there weren't many interpretations for the 'fall of Olympus'. Clearly whatever Hades was going to do to these kids, it was bad. But still, I was already on a quest to save Olympus from Hades. It wasn't fair to give me another one on top of it!

"As for you two," Aphrodite turned to Annabeth and Luke. My friends had turned a firm shade of red, which seemed to please Aphrodite. "Well, you have some unfinished business of your own in this city. There is a former starlet getting drunk in the bar across the street. Once you find her it will be clear then what you must do."

The three of us exchanged a glance. None of us liked the idea of splitting up, but Aphrodite wasn't giving us much of a chance. At that point she waved her hand, and the chauffeur promptly pulled Annabeth and Luke from the limo. Before I could even react, we'd begun to move. I turned back to Aphrodite, and noticed for the first time just how crazed she looked. Love was scary man.

"You have a bag of magical pearls, do you not?" Aphrodite asked me. I wasn't sure how she knew, but I nodded, pulling it out. "Good. I always found Amphitrite rather, well, trite myself. After all, she has fifty sisters just like her. But there is no trope more exhausted than the evil step-mother, so I must commend her for originality. Take the red pearl, smash it, and then put it in your drink. It shall protect you from the worst of Hecate's magic, and from your lips the same protection can be granted to others."

I probably should have asked her to be more specific, but in school 'clarifying questions' always seemed to make me look dumb, so I just let it be. Instead I took one of the mini cans of coke and dropped the pearl in. The pearl immediately dissolved, which I actually find kind of concerning, but I drank the concoction anyways.

Aphrodite smiled, "I remember when Cleopatra used that trick with Marc Antony. He swore even she couldn't spend a fortune on a single meal, so she dissolved her most prized pearls in vinegar and drank them. If you ever thing your Annabeth is scary, be glad she is no daughter of mine."

I didn't know enough about history to understand how an Egyptian would be the daughter of Aphrodite, but I didn't question it. Not that I had time to. Just as I finished drinking my few-thousand-dollar Coke, we pulled into the shining "Lotus Hotel and Casino".

Aphrodite studied me for a second, and then nodded. She waved her hand, "There. You need to look like yourself when they first see you. That way they'll be able to know your heart."

I thought that was rich coming from a woman whose appearance constantly changed, but if it meant my hair was brown again, I wasn't complaining. I really didn't like looking in the mirror and seeing some California surfer-dude.

"One final piece of advice, my dear," Aphrodite told me before I could get out. "Take care with who you call family. The love you may share with them is not my domain, but it is love still, and love always involves sacrifice."

On that cheery note, Aphrodite pushed me out of the limo and drove away.

I'd assumed the kids would be relatively easy to find. After all, Las Vegas casinos didn't tend to have a lot of kids. If I remembered my movies correctly, kids weren't usually even allowed on the casino floor. I figured if I found a brother and sister sitting off to the side, they were probably the ones I wanted.

I figured very, very wrong.

The Lotus Casino didn't even seem to be a casino, not really. I guess because most kids don't know how to play more than a little blackjack, and everyone here was a kid. Even the staff seemed no older than Luke, and if I had to guess the average age for the customers, it would be about thirteen. Over by the ball pit there were a bunch of kids who couldn't have been older than five, and not a single adult in sight.

It should have been creepy, and maybe it was, but there was definitely a part of me which just said _Sounds awesome, check me in._

Someone handed me a plastic card and told me to have fun. I didn't see how I could possibly do anything else. As far as the eye could see, there were games. Rows upon rows of pinball, Pac-Man, and air hockey, a four-story high water park, laser tag, paintball, even a giant chess board right out of "Harry Potter". If I didn't know I was on a timer, I could have started to play and never stopped. And even with the timer… I could feel the magic of the place, a strange pulsation I couldn't quite define. It had to be the pearl protecting me from whatever brainwashing caused people to stay here forever. Yet the temptation to play didn't go away. The real key to this place wasn't magic at all. If you had to choose between the real-world and unlimited fun, you'd always choose the fun.

I suppose in some ways my ADHD protected me more than the pearl. The temptation to play was too strong to resist, but after I bungee-jumped in the lobby twice, it started to get old. I saw some kids who looked like they hadn't moved from the same game in decades, but that just wasn't me. Don't get me wrong, I wanted to try everything but there was no one thing that could hold my attention. And every time I got bored of one game, I remembered why I was actually there.

Problem was, I knew my purpose, but I didn't have a clue how to accomplish it. I knew how to play Pac-Man. I had experience with laser tag. But Aphrodite had given me absolutely nothing about my targets except that Hades wanted them, and they were siblings. There had to be a couple hundred kids in that place. I didn't have a clue where to look.

I stuck to the multi-player games, asking everyone I came across if they had a brother or sister. The most common answer- 'I can't remember'. It was utterly depressing. I was tempted to start kissing people, in case it really would wake them up like Aphrodite suggested, but I doubted it would do them much good. Even if the magic of this place wouldn't affect them, the games were addicting themselves.

As I began to lose hope, I was further tempted to just lose myself in the games. Then I saw the woman who'd killed my mother.

The Fury would have stood out no matter what. Like I said, there weren't any adults in the place. But I would have recognized her anywhere regardless. She wore the same suit, carried the same briefcase. Her face was shaped differently, but the eyes gave her away. There was hate in those eyes. An evil, indifferent kind of hate which was far worse than hate born from anger. It seemed to say "I despise you because I was told to, not because you've ever actually done something to me".

But I hated the Fury, properly hated her. The moment I caught sight of her, I remembered watching my mother disappear before my eyes. I remembered my fear. I remembered my grief. I remembered my anger. The blood pounded in my ears. It took all my self-control not to draw Riptide and vaporize her on the spot. But I knew I couldn't. She was a servant of Hades, which meant she was there for the same reason I was. I needed to follow her and then kill her.

It wasn't difficult to stay hidden amid the stacks of arcade games, but the Fury moved beyond there, passing down long rows of board games. I saw some kids playing Monopoly dressed like they belonged in 1935, and heard another say their D&D campaign was in its third straight day. I did my best to stay along the floor's edge, watching from a distance, but a few times the Fury seemed to sense me. She'd turn suddenly, and then I'd have to pretend I'd been playing "Sorry" for the past decade. I felt her eyes upon me, and wondered if it was such a good idea to let Aphrodite wipe away my blond disguise. But every time the Fury just moved on.

The moment I saw them, I knew I'd found the kids, and not just because the Fury was heading right towards them. They were the only ones who seemed vaguely awake in the whole place.

The boy was probably ten-short, scrawny, and with a mop of black hair that covered even darker eyes. His skin was olive, so he looked more Greek than most demigods I knew. His clothes, however, were ridiculous. Black shoes, white socks to his knees paired with those old-timey shorts you see boys wearing in newsreels of World War II. He didn't have on suspenders, thank the gods, but his plain white shirt seemed formal and stiff.

Behind him was a girl who had to be his sister. A floppy green cap hid most of her face, but her dress had the same vintage feel as the boy's shorts. Plus she was nagging him. That's what really got me. Even from a distance, I could hear her saying, "Nico, you need to eat. Won't you please take a break?"

I thought of all the other kids, how they couldn't even remember whether or not they had siblings. These two were dressed like they had been plucked from World War Two, but she still knew her brother. She still cared enough about her brother to force him to eat. It was majorly impressive.

I didn't get to watch them for long though. Before the boy, Nico, could answer his sister, the Fury stepped right up to the table, laying her briefcase on top of the card game Nico was playing, "Now Honeys, it's time for us to go."

"Who are you?" the girl asked, lifting her head. Sure enough, once I got a clear view of her face, I saw the same dark features as her brother, but there was a certain boldness there which Nico lacked.

The Fury pursed her lips, but replied calmly, "I am a lawyer, Bianca. You and Nico need to come with me. I've enrolled you in a school and you must start tomorrow. It's time for you to leave this place."

"But I'm playing," Nico chimed, his voice light and slightly whiny. "And what happened to the last lawyer?"

"Quiet Nico," Bianca chastised her brother. "If she says she's our lawyer then she probably is. Why would she lie? Besides, you've been playing this game for days. I'm sick of it here."

Nico sighed, but obeyed his sister. He did, however, borrow the Fury's briefcase so he could take all the cards and figurines with him. The Fury was surprisingly patient with him. It made me wonder what exactly it was that Hades wanted with these kids. He didn't want them dead; that was clear. But why would he want them alive either? What good did they do him?

I didn't get to think about it for too long, because it didn't matter why Hades wanted them. He wasn't going to get them. I felt a surge of protectiveness for these kids, and I hated the Fury. I hated Hades.

I hid behind a column, waiting for the Fury to pass by. I was hoping I could just catch her by surprise and slash her to pieces. No such luck. I guess I was downwind or something as I followed her to the kids, but now that she was coming back my way, she must have smelled me. There were some funhouse mirrors nearby, and I could see the Fury stop suddenly a few tables away from me. She held up her hand for the kids to stay, and then slowly stalked towards me. My heart thundered in my chest, and I made a split second decision. I lunged towards her before she could attack me.

I did manage to catch her by surprise. I did not manage to kill her in one shot. She dogged last second so Riptide stabbed right through the edge of her blazer, ripping it in half. Bianca and Nico screamed. Everyone else in the hotel didn't even blink.

"Thief!" the Fury hissed as her wings and fangs began to sprout. "You shall steal nothing else from My Lord, Son of Poseidon!"

She kicked me before I could respond, knocking Riptide from my hands. The sword shattered a mirror against the wall, and I cursed the Fury. As if I needed more bad luck. Meanwhile I went flying into the middle of the Monopoly game. This finally got the kids' attention. "Cool it, Clyde! We're playing here."

"You'll thank me later!" I told him, jumped to my feet. I grabbed the Monopoly board and swung it at the Fury. It hit her right in the face, which distracted her long enough for me to dash over to where Riptide had fallen.

Even with my sword, I wasn't sure I would be able to fight off the Fury. My ribs were aching, probably broken, from where I'd gotten kicked. I wondered how I'd managed to fight off three of these only a few weeks before. Then I remembered I hadn't; my mom had gotten killed in the process.

The Fury charged at me. A briefcase soared through the air, colliding mid-air with her. I don't know who looked more shocked-the Fury, or Nico. But I took advantage of the distraction. In one rapid charge, I cut through the Fury with Riptide, and she vanished with a demon scream.

"Nico!" Bianca cried. "You just helped him kill our lawyer."

Nico and I both gave Bianca a look. Nico then waved his hands around, and said, "It wasn't a lawyer. It was a Fury! Five-hundred attack power except when paired with Hades which doubles it."

I didn't have a clue what the kid was talking about, but his sister seemed to. She didn't exactly seem to like it though. Or maybe she just didn't like me. "Who are you? What's going on?"

My mind went back to July, the day I first met Luke and Annabeth in the park. I remembered how confused I'd been, and how scared. I remembered how they'd tried to protect me with lies, and what an utter mess that turned out to be. So, I decided to give them the truth, "My name is Percy, I'm the Son of Poseidon, and I'm here to rescue you. That Fury was paired with Hades, in a way. Hades sent it to take you away."

"Cool!" Nico whispered.

"You're insane," Bianca replied.

Honestly? I got both their reactions. Nico's was more fun though. I smirked down at the scrawny kid, then did my best to explain, "Look, I know it's difficult to understand, but you have to believe me. The Greek gods are real, and they like to interfere in the lives of mortals. Back in December, Hades stole Zeus's lightning bolt and framed me in order to start a war between the gods. Now he's trying to use you to do the same."

"But how!" Bianca seemed very flustered. Nico had dropped to the ground and was picking up all the cards which had flown from the briefcase when it hit the Fury. "I don't… How?"

"Trust me, if I understood, I'd tell you, but I don't have a clue. The important thing is that Hades doesn't get to you… oh, and you need to leave this hotel as well. I'm pretty sure it makes you lose track of time, keeps you young and confused while years pass."

"Don't be absurd. Nico and I have only been here for a month."

I felt bad for Bianca in one way. It really was a lot to take in. Unfortunately, I was on a time limit, and it had just occurred to me that if this place messed with your perception of time… well I might not be immune just because I drank a super expensive Coke. I didn't have time to fill her in on the details. I just needed to convince her enough that she and Nico would leave with me.

"What month was that? What day is it, Bianca?"

"I don't know the date. But it's June, 1939!"

A month. She thought she'd been there a month and it had been sixty-six years. How long had I been there? A few hours? Had the deadline already passed? Was there even a world to return to, or would I step outside the casino to discover there was nothing left to save.

 _No, Percy. Don't think like that. Just get them out of there._ "I'm sorry Bianca, but it's not. Look at my clothes. It's not 1939. It's 2006."

Even Nico seemed surprised by that news. Both of them rubbed their temples, clearly confused. I wished Annabeth was there, or Luke. They'd both probably have a better way of explaining this than me. Maybe they could even figure out why Hades wanted Bianca and Nico in the first place.

"Look, you have to trust me. If I'm lying, well then you can just come right back inside, but I'm not lying. Please, just trust me."

I could tell just by looking at her that Bianca wasn't the trusting type. The way she covered her face with her cap. The still darkness of her eyes. She was the kind of person who hid, who stepped back and watched, trying to figure out for herself what to do. But something in my own face must have encouraged her, or maybe she just knew, deep down, that this place was wrong. "Okay. Nico, we're going."

"Cool," Nico chirped, grabbing the suitcase and trailing after me. "Hey, Percy. If you're the son of Poseidon does that mean you're really good at surfing?"

Despite myself, I laughed, "I don't know, Nico. I've never tried. But I am the fastest swimmer in New York State." Well, except in the butterfly. Celia for some reason was better at the butterfly than me, but then, Palaemon was a sea-deity too.

Nico asked me a dozen other questions I didn't know the answer to. We were just about at the door when he asked one that caused me to stop in my tracks, "Wait, if all these kids are trapped here, shouldn't we save them?"

My heart turned in knots. "I don't know how, Nico. It's not just the magic which keeps people here. Who would want to leave when you can just stay happy forever."  
We all paused, looking out at the mess of games and kids. How long had they all been there? How had they gotten there in the first place? Had their parents lived and died not knowing what happened to their kids?

"They remind me of the dead," Bianca whispered. "Walking about, looking for purpose, joy, but they'll never really find it. In this place with everything, there's nothing truly satisfying."

Her words sent chills down my spine. She was right though. Somehow I knew this was a sneak-peak of what I'd find in Los Angeles. All the kids here, their souls were lost. They were already dead; they just didn't know it.

Anger bubbled within me. This was insane. If the gods knew about this place, why didn't they do anything? Why had Aphrodite sent me to save two kids instead of all of them? What made Bianca and Nico any more important than every other kid in this place?

A crazy idea popped into my head. Figuring my crazy ideas were always my best ones, I told Nico and Bianca, "Go, now. I can't make this many people leave, but I might be able to wake them up long enough to give them the chance. If this goes wrong though, well you shouldn't be here. If I don't make it out, find Annabeth and Luke. They're my friends. You can trust them."

"Wait I want to help!" Nico cried, but Bianca was already dragging him away. Apparently she didn't need to be told twice to run and save herself. Smart girl.

Me on the other hand… I was probably about to get myself killed. But hey, that would solve the problem of how to make it the last few-hundred miles to LA.

The waterpark was almost directly in the hotel's center. I found one of those miniature geysers little kids ran through on sunny days, and crouched down next to it. "Okay, Dad. How we going to do this?"

I felt stupid talking to my dad, never mind to a geyser. And yet, as I reached my hand out over the water, I felt something shift within me. Suddenly I could see every pipe which ran through the place. The whole system was contained, recycling water from the park to use in other places within the hotel. We were in the middle of the Mojave Desert; the place had to be self-contained. But that meant that what happened in one place could happen everywhere else. If I built up enough pressure within the pipes…

I stepped on top of the geyser. It was like I was five years old again, playing in the park and trying to keep the water down. It had been impossible; there were simply too many holes to cover with my little body. But now I imagined covering them all with my mind, forcing the water back inside. I saw the geysers around me start to sputter out, growing weaker as the water pooled in the pipes. Then I reached towards the slides, imagining I was turning all the knobs off. One kid got a major wedgie as he tried to go down the drying slide. I wanted to laugh, but I had to focus.

I could feel the pressure in the pipes getting ready to explode. But I guess I didn't yet fully understand the power of the sea. When the pipes finally burst, they shattered. The waterpark imploded, slides toppling down. Across the hotel, everything electronic broke fizzling out as they were drenched in water. A few short-circuited, causing miniature fires.

It was terrifying, but it did the trick. For the first time in years, kids looked up from their games, their TVs, their meals. There was nothing to distract them anymore. They all realized just what a mess surrounded them.

I did the natural thing; I pulled the fire alarm.

Thank the gods for fire drills. Every kid in the place responded the same, getting up from their soggy seats and marching out of the place. It occurred to me then that I probably could have just pulled the alarm without blowing up the water park, but I told myself it wouldn't have had the same effect.

The hotel staff, whom I could only assume were monsters, didn't seem to know what to do. They just stood their staring at the exodus of kids from the place. I didn't wait around for them to come to their senses though. I took off running, and a few bellhops in floral shirts followed after me. Luckily I lost them easily in the crowds, though when I got outside, I didn't stop running until I ran right into Luke, Annabeth, Bianca, and Nico.

I paused, panting heavily. My whole body seemed to ache. I guess fighting a Fury and exploding a waterpark over-extended my demigod powers too much for one day. Unless… "Annabeth, what day is it?"

She'd changed clothes. In fact, they all had, Nico and Bianca included. I gulped. Wishing I hadn't bothered asking, but I needed to know.

"Percy, it's been days. We didn't know what to do. Luke and I could go on without you. And then Bianca and Nico came out this morning, saying you would be right behind them but… It's almost ten o'clock at night."

"It's the 27th, Percy," Luke interjected, looking very nervous. "We have two days to get to LA, get the bolt, and return to New York."


	18. I Get Betrayed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I'm a terrible and forgetful person, but enjoy the most important chapter!

Chapter 18- I Get Betrayed

There was nothing we could do to get to LA at 10 at night, so we ended up going back to the motel to get some sleep and talk. Mostly though, we just needed to figure out what to do with Bianca and Nico.

During the hours which had passed between when Bianca and Nico left the casino and when I did, Luke and Annabeth had managed to determine exactly nothing about the two kids. By the time I got to them, Nico had been dozing on his sister's shoulder for an hour, and Bianca had more-or-less shut down. When we got to the motel, we sent them inside, and then Luke held me outside so we could talk without disturbing them.

"Best we can tell, they've had their memories wiped. My guess in the River Lethe. When heroes are reborn to try for the Isle of the Blessed they're dunked in the river to wipe their souls of their past lives. But usually those souls go into the bodies of a baby, maybe a demigod, maybe not. No one really knows what happens. and Hades isn't talking."

Annabeth chimed in then, looking nervously through the window at our guests, "But it had to be Hades who did it. The River Lethe runs straight through the Underworld. The confusing thing is that Bianca remembers living in Washington D.C. in 1939 and then going to the Casino. Whatever Hades did, he did it a long time ago."

I suppose when you're immortal sixty-six years might not seem like a long time. Still, gods weren't very patient. It seemed strange for Hades to have been planning this for so long, especially because we'd been assuming he got the idea from Kronos and Luke's conversations. Something just didn't fit. It was like I was trying to put together a puzzle but I only had every other piece. I could get a vague idea of what I thought was the big picture, but the missing pieces changes the picture entirely.

I wondered if that was how Bianca and Nico felt as well. If they had had their minds wiped before the hotel, why didn't they remember walking around D.C. as amnesiacs? Why hadn't they questioned some random lawyer putting them in a hotel for what seemed to be a full month? Maybe things were different in the 40's, but kids didn't usually stay alone in hotels for months at a time, or wander around with no memories of their lives. It was just all too weird.

Luke seemed to think so as well. He bit his lip, then sighed, "Look, I hate to be the guy to say it, but I think we need to consider the possibility that this is a trap. Their story doesn't make, and they don't even seem to notice that it doesn't make sense.

That was a pretty fair assessment, but I felt the need to defend them. After all, Nico had thrown a briefcase at a Fury for me. That kind of meant I owed him, "The Mist does strange things, even to demigods. For years I didn't question all the pieces to my life which didn't make sense. Maybe it's like dreams- you forget them until they become important, and then you wonder how you ever could have forgotten them at all. Maybe they're being used, but I don't think Bianca and Nico are using us. Just give them a little time to get their heads on straight."

"In case you haven't noticed, Percy. We're running a bit low on time," Luke remarked. "You wasted days on this quest for Aphrodite, and what did we get out of it but more trouble?"

I was shocked by how callous Luke sounded. "What did we get? We saved Bianca and Nico! And all those other kids too. Besides, Aphrodite said you and Annabeth would find answers, didn't she? What happened with you?"

Luke looked away from me, towards the dark night sky. Annabeth's lip trembled. Finally she admitted, "That's the thing Percy, it was just a waste of time."

"It was a sick joke, that's what it was," Luke snapped, gripping his fist tight. "Turns out Aphrodite was sending us to meet Thalia's drunk of a mother, Beryl Grace. She was out of her mind by the time we found her, raging at Zeus for ruining her life and taking her children."

Annabeth's voice was barely more than a whisper, "She died, Percy. The next day. As soon as she left the bar she drove back to California and died."

Luke reached out, pulling Annabeth into a tight hug. "It wasn't your fault. Zeus drove her crazy long before Thalia died."

I couldn't shake the feeling that I was witnessing something that should have been private, and turned away. Honestly, I was in shock. Sure, my little trip to the Lotus Hotel and Casino had sucked days from our deadline and involved my exploding a waterpark, but for them to meet Thalia's mom just for her to die… I had to agree with Luke. It was a sick joke. And if Aphrodite could play that joke on us, than maybe Bianca and Nico were just a joke as well.

No, Percy. They're not a joke. They're people, kids, same as you, and probably half-bloods as well. You found them for a reason. You know you did.

"We'll send them to school," I announced, and only a second later did I realize I was speaking aloud. "It's too dangerous to bring them to the Underworld, but they can't stay here. Chiron will know how to help them, and memory loss is a little bit like insanity, isn't it, so maybe Mr. D will actually do something for once. It doesn't matter where they came from or what Hades wanted them to be. From now on, they get to forge their own path. Isn't that what you want, Luke, for us to be free from the gods' plans?"

Luke didn't seem pleased with my decision, but slowly he nodded. Annabeth bit her lip, but did the same. "We can send Chiron an Iris message and he'll send a satyr to get them. I don't know where the nearest one is though."

Suddenly I got an idea. I poked through my bag of pearls and found an orange ones. A soft lullaby played in my mind, the one I'd heard sung in my father's palace months ago. I had no way of knowing if I was right, but my gut told me what to do. "What do you think is the probability that this will send someone to AA?"

"Percy, that's insane. There's no chance it will work. You could get Bianca and Nico killed."

"Orange is the school color.""

I'll let you guess who said once. If you can't… well you haven't been paying enough attention clearly. "I have a good feeling about it. In the morning we'll send Bianca and Nico with this, and then I can sell some others to buy us bus tickets to LA."

Annabeth stared at me like I'd lost my mind. Maybe I had. Luke smirked, "Don't you have black pearls? I bet those would bring us right to Hades's palace."

I did, in fact, have a black pearl, but if my theory was correct, it would do us no good getting into the Underworld. We'd have to find another way, but that was a problem for the morning. At that, we called it a night, and passed right out.

Nico was the only one of us in a good mood that morning. I suppose the kid had it easy- he wasn't about to walk into the Underworld. I wasn't quite sure what Bianca's excuse was though.

While we all ate some donuts, I explained to Bianca and Nico about the pearls and how they would (hopefully) bring them to school. Bianca looked reasonably nervous about the probability that they would be sent somewhere completely random, like Orange County, Florida or something. Nico just looked depressed at the idea of school.

"I don't remember school. But I remember not being any good about it."

If I'd needed any more confirmation that they were demigods, that was it.

We checked out of the motel for the second (and hopefully last) time. As I handed the pearls to Bianca and Nico, I noticed Luke fidgeting with the strap on his backpack. Was he second-guessing my plan to use unknown magic to send to demigods cross-country? Or was that just me.

Yet something had shifted in Bianca's eyes from the night before. She looked more sure of her self. Confident even. I supposed I wasn't the only demigod who had dreams, though she didn't share whatever it was that made her trust my judgement. Instead, she took the pearls and, to my shock, kissed me on the cheek, "I don't think I ever told you thank you, Percy. I really am grateful."

I blushed bright red. Bianca was, after all, a pretty girl, but I hadn't thought about whether or not I liked her any more than I'd considered whether or not I liked Annabeth or Celia. Then again, Aphrodite hadn't sent me on a quest to save Annabeth or Celia. My stomach turned to knots. As if I needed more things to worry about.

A strange peace passed over Bianca's face, and then she said, "And if I'm right…" She trailed off, stretching her hands over the ground. All of a sudden, a staircase appeared, tunneling right into the solid rock beneath our feet. We all jumped back surprised, except for Bianca. She walked right towards it and smelled. Then she stepped away, hands shaking, looking panicked and nervous.

"I'm sorry. I don't know how I did that, but I if you follow that path it will bring you right to the Underworld."

Before we could ask any more questions, or yell, scream, and panic, Bianca grabbed Nico's hand and stepped upon the orange pearl. They disappeared in a flash of orange light.

Behind me, Luke let off a long string of curses, half of them in Ancient Greek.

I stood shocked and confused. What had Bianca just done? What had I done helping Bianca?

I took a few steps towards the doorway. My heart seemed to grow heavy as I did. "I think it really is a portal to the Underworld."

"Of course it is," Luke snapped wringing his hands. "But don't you see Percy what this means?"

I didn't… and I did. Mostly I just didn't want to think about it, "Look, we have to get the Master Bolt from Hades and back to Zeus by noon tomorrow or else there will be war. I don't see how one path to the Underworld is any more dangerous than another, and this will save us three-hundred miles and LA traffic."

For a moment, the only noise was the honking and chatter of Vegas. Then Annabeth stepped towards me, eyes sparkling, as she said, "Percy, this is your quest. It's your decision. But when we get back we need to talk about Bianca and Nico. About what this means."

I knew we did, but we could deal with that after we prevented World War III. I cast a glance towards Luke, looking to see if he'd trust me. Finally, he nodded. It seemed we'd be taking the expressway to the Underworld.

I'm not so sure it ended up being faster than just driving to LA. It was a long way down, and completely dark the whole way. We had to keep talking just to remember the others were there- and to keep a semblance of our sanity intact. But since there were no cows, we had to play never-have-I-ever instead.

"Never have I ever run away."

It didn't matter that I couldn't see Annabeth and Luke. I knew they were scowling at me. It made me smile. Nothing like knowing your only friends want to kill you!

"Well, never have I ever had an evil step-parent," Luke countered.

I thought about Gabe slapping my mother, and clenched my fists. He probably loved all the attention my mother's 'murder' offered him. Ha! Wouldn't he be shocked when I got her back. I hoped the police investigated him for a false report.

I put down a finger, not that anyone could see. Surprisingly, Annabeth objected to that, grumbling, "My stepmother isn't evil. She just doesn't want anything to do with me. There's a difference."

Surprisingly, I actually did see the difference. Gabe was a terrible person. From what I knew about her, Annabeth's stepmom was just way in over her head. I suppose when you marry a guy and then discover his daughter might get you all killed… it does put stress on a relationship. Still, things had to be pretty bad to make a seven-year-old run away.

"Have you ever gone back?"

"To Virginia?" Annabeth seemed surprised by my question. I didn't know why. It seemed like a pretty fair question to me. It had to have been hard for Annabeth living for years as the youngest kid at school, and considering she'd spent her birthday reading in Central Park, it had probably been pretty lonely as well.

"Once. It lasted about a week, but then a drakon crashed into my stepmom's minivan. My half-brothers Bobby and Matthew weren't hurt, but they were terrified. No one said anything, but I could tell they wished I'd just leave again. So I did."

That sounded utterly depressing to me, but then again, what half-blood didn't have a depressing home life? It just seemed like part of the basic package. Like ADHD, check. Dyslexia, check. Absentee godly parent, check. Crappy homelife, check. I wondered what that meant went in the 'premium' demigod package. Probably the ridiculous side-quests and tragic fate. Glad to know I was a premium demigod.

"Never have I ever... I see light!" Annabeth hissed. I thought she was crazy for a second, but it turned out she was right. (Nothing new there). A tiny light appeared in the distance. The stairs began to flatten out, depositing us on a flat plain of gravely rock. The moment Luke came down the final step, the stairway disappeared, leaving us stranded in the Underworld.

It looked nicer than you'd expect the Underworld to look, not that that's saying much. But this was definitely the nice part of town. In the distance I could see the flames of the Field of Punishment and the smoke rising from a barbecue on the Isle of the Blessed. Nearer still were the Fields of Asphodel, a large football field filled with ghostly shades meandering about. A chill ran down my spine. Bianca was right; the Lotus Casino and the Underworld weren't very different at all. I did not want to know how she knew that, but I knew she was right.

Still, the real give away that we were in the 'nice' part of town was the looming palace. Bianca's portal had led us to Hades's doorstep. I supposed that was a good thing for the sake of expediency, but it felt dangerous. Now that we were in the Underworld, it occurred to me that we didn't have a plan. I hadn't even thought about how we would actually get the lightning bolt and leave with it. I was fairly certain that the black pearls would get us out of the Underworld, though where they would bring us, I hadn't a clue. If we didn't get the Master Bolt though, there would be no point in leaving. If we failed, the world would end tomorrow. We might as well just stay in the Underworld so we didn't have to make the trip twice.

I reached in my bag, and pulled out the black pearl. "Luke, I want you to take this. If something goes wrong, hopefully it will be able to transport you and Annabeth out of here."

"We're not just about to leave you behind," Annabeth hissed. Yet Luke took it, a shadow of understanding passing through his gaze. He'd been on a quest before. He knew how easily things could go wrong. If things did go south, it would be too late for me. I was the Son of Poseidon. This was my quest. Whatever happened was on me. But Luke and Annabeth were just here to help me. If I failed, they might be able to live another day… though it would probably be just one day more.

"Any ideas of what we should do now?" I asked, laughing awkwardly. It seemed like a dumb idea to stand out in the open in the middle of the Underworld. It seemed even dumber to walk right up to Hades's palace and say "You stole my mother and a lightning bolt. Give it back or I'll spray you with water!"

Luke spun his head, as if listening to a voice on the wind. When he turned back to us, his gaze was filled with dread. Still he said, "Come on."

Annabeth and I both trusted him implicitly, so we followed him. The dread in the pit of my stomach grew worse, but hey, we were in the Underworld. What else would you expect?

We rounded a corner, and I stopped dead in my tracks. The flickering flames. The oppressive chill. The hollow emptiness. I suddenly recognized it. I knew where we were. I'd been there multiple times in my dreams. No wonder Luke knew his way. He'd been there as well.

Somehow, the entrance to Tartarus was more terrifying in person. I thought my heart might just stop from fright. Standing there, by the entrance to the pit, you could feel the evil which lived within. They seemed to scream out in one primordial voice, not with words, but with anger, hatred, fear. It radiated power as well, a power stronger than any I'd ever encountered. Tartarus was more powerful than Olympus; I had no doubt about it. If all the darkness within that pit was to escape at once… I couldn't even imagine facing a fraction of it.

Luke's sword was drawn, and he smashed it against the back of Annabeth's head. I jumped, and screamed, not a good idea in the Underworld, but I couldn't stop it. As Annabeth crumpled to the ground, I shouted at Luke, "What are you doing!"

Luke didn't answer me. I ran to Annabeth's side, desperately checking for a pulse. Meanwhile, Luke slung his backpack off his shoulder and unzipped it. I looked up just in time to see him pull out a two-foot-long cylinder of Celestial Bronze. My heart dropped. I didn't know whether to start sobbing, or murder Luke on the spot.

I ended up just whispering, "You said you didn't steal it."

Luke looked down upon me, eyes sad. It was hard to be mad at him, actually. I cared about Luke, a lot. He was as close to a brother as I'd ever known, and I didn't like to see him in such pain. He looked like he was being torn apart, which made him hard to hate.

But the betrayal… it stung, so I quite frankly didn't know what to think or feel.

When Luke answered, he sounded remorseful, "I know, Percy. I know I did. But you gave me no choice. You were talking like whoever stole the bolt did it to spite you, but that was never my intention! It never crossed my mind that Zeus would blame you. You weren't even supposed to be there. Don't you get it? I'm doing this for you, for Thalia, for all of us- just like I promised."

Annabeth was breathing regularly, though a nasty bruise was already forming on her head. Still, I felt comfortable leaving her alone, and stood up. Luke was still a lot taller than me, but I felt better on my feet. Stronger. I understood what they meant when they said someone 'felt grounded'.

"Then explain it to me now, Luke. And no more lies. Why? What has Kronos promised you? How can you trust him?"

Luke laughed, a cold, crazy laugh. "Trust him? Percy, I'm not insane. I don't trust him. But he wants the same thing we do-to tear down Olympus. To bring the gods to their knees and make them pay."

I felt like someone was trying to cram the Master Bolt down my throat. I couldn't breathe, and I felt sick. "Luke. You're talking about our parents."

"Parents?" Luke shook his head, looking up to the dark sky of the Underworld. "Percy, when have the gods ever even resembled parents? How many kids are just stuffed in Hermes House to wait for a sign that will never come? They only ever claim us because they want something. Parents are supposed to care about their kids. They're supposed to protect their kids. Your dad sent cyclops to kill you! This whole quest was absurd. How were you, a twelve-year-old, supposed to get the Master Bolt back from Hades. And the Lotus Casino, Aphrodite could have shut that place down in a heartbeat. She just thought it would be fun to make you do it. We struggle, and we slave, and we die doing things they could do with a snap of the fingers. They're not parents, Percy. They're tyrants!"

I wish I could say he was wrong, but he wasn't. The gods were terrible parents. All their power, and they did nothing to help people. They only ever used their power to hurt people. How many people drowned every year? How many died in earthquakes or tsunamis? That was my dad. Why? Because he was having a bad day? Because he could?

I glanced down at the entrance to Tartarus. I could still feel its evil power. Olympus didn't feel like that. Olympus glistened and glowed, but did that make it any less evil? Or was it just that however evil the gods were, they were better than what came before them?

"Maybe you didn't know Zeus would turn on me, but Kronos did. He's using you Luke. He's using us both. There is nothing he can offer you."

Luke shook his head, golden hair flopping. I couldn't decide if he looked insane, or like the sun incarnate. Holy, or infernal. "Don't you get it? Kronos has the power to destroy the Fates themselves. Imagine it, Percy. No more destinies. No more prophecies. No more gods. We'd finally be free to forge our own path. It's everything we've ever talked about! Everything we've ever wanted. All I have to do is give Kronos Zeus's bolt and Hades's helm."

I hadn't even noticed the Helm of Darkness lying at Luke's feet, but there it was. My stomach turned in knots. Hades hadn't taken my mom to keep me from stopping him. All he wanted was his helm back, the helm Luke took. Everything that had happened, it was Luke's fault, because he didn't think about the consequences of trusting Kronos.

It didn't even matter whether or not Luke was wrong about the gods. Kronos was the reason my mom was rotting in the Underworld. I would never, ever, let him rule the world.

I drew Riptide. The bronze glade seemed to glisten in the shadowy darkness of the Underworld. "I'm sorry, Luke, but I can't let you do that. Maybe the gods stink, but they're our family. Your dad does care about you. He asked me to save you from yourself. And I'm not going to let Kronos use you like this."

I honestly think Luke expected me to join him. His face fell, a shadow of grief and betray passing over his eyes. He dropped the Master Bolt and drew his sword. When he spoke, he sounded younger than me, "You swore on the River Styx to help me."

"I swore to save you Luke. Don't you see? The terrible fate your mother saw- this is it. You, working for Kronos, betraying the gods and everyone who cares about you."

"I'M DOING THIS FOR YOU!" Luke howled, swinging his blade down. If I hadn't moved, he would have probably killed me. But I was light on my feet, and stepped to the side, not quite hitting back, but prepared if he struck out again.

"I'm doing you a favor, Percy. When the gods turn on you, it will be a lot more painful," his voice was scary calm, like a pipe the second before it burst.

I jumped to the side just as he slashed towards me. It was clear he was done talking, which was good, because I didn't have anything else to say. Heavy tears stunk my cheeks. Burning anger drove my blows, but I don't even know who I was angry at-Luke, or the gods. I just knew that I was not about to give Kronos the most powerful weapon in all Creation, and if that meant fighting Luke…

It was exactly like the hundreds of other times we'd sparred, and nothing like them at all. Anger, betrayal, grief- our emotions drove us. We were desperate, striking wide, lashing out where we should have defended. Each blow feel heavier than usual, but ultimately, neither of us was really trying to hurt the other. We might very well kill one another in our recklessness, but we were angrier at ourselves than one another.

On a normal day, Luke and I were pretty evenly matched. He had the size and training, but I had the speed and raw power. I don't know how long we fought, five minutes, five hours. I don't know why none of Hades minions swooped in and stole back the bolt and helm while we were distracted. All I was aware of was the movement of my sword, and the gripping, heart-wrenching ache in my chest.

I thought I heard a sound to my left. Thinking it was Hades, I turned to look, but there was no one there. My momentary distraction, however, proved to be all Luke needed. He disarmed me, sending Riptide flying across the courtyard. I was utterly defenseless, and Luke brought the point of his blade to my chest.

I held my breath. Our eyes met, and I saw thick tears rolling down Luke's face. He panted heavily, and then muttered, "Gods, Percy. Don't you see what they've done to us? We should be fighting together, you and me against the gods. We'll save your mother. We'll bring back Thalia. We'll do all the things the gods should have done millennia ago!"

"Not this way, Luke," my voice cracked from grief and fear. "Anything but this."

Luke shut his eyes. I prepared myself for death, hoping Luke would make it quick. Instead, he pulled away his sword. "I'm not going to kill you Percy. Soon you'll realize this is the only way. I just hope it's not too late for you. But if I have to do this for you, I will."

Luke stepped away, turning back towards the entrance to Tartarus. I wondered what would happen if I charged at him. He had his sword but if I caught him by surprise…

"What?" Luke hissed. I blinked in surprise. The Master Bolt had disappeared from where he left it, the Helm of Darkness as well. For a second, both of us just stared.

Then an invisible force jumped on Luke, sending him tumbling to the ground. Annabeth pulled the Helm of Darkness off her head, tossing it to the side so she could stare him in the eyes, "If you think this is what Thalia would have wanted, you've lost your mind."

Luke pushed her off him, but didn't attack. Annabeth was, after all, holding the Master Bolt in her fist. And considering how angry she looked… she might have used it if he tried anything.

Luke stood there, looking defeated. Then he lifted his eyes and whispered, "When the gods turn on you, Percy. Find me."

He must have made a split-second decision, because I didn't even see it coming. He pulled the pearl I'd given him from his pocket, smashing it upon the ground. Annabeth screamed, "NO!" But when she reached out to grab him, he'd already dissolved into the black mist. She was left grasping at empty air.

All I wanted was to fall to the ground and sob, but I forced myself to walk towards Annabeth. I grabbed the Helm of Darkness from where she'd dropped it, staring at the stupid chunk of metal which had caused such a mess. I was tempted to fling it down into Tartarus myself just out of anger.

I didn't get the chance. Suddenly, from the darkness, a man appeared. He was larger than life, with pale skin, and cold, black eyes. I recognized him from the Winter Solstice, but even if I hadn't seen him before, I would have known Hades. There weren't many who looked like him. No one else could have such cold eyes.

My heart thudded in my chest as a thought floated across my mind-Bianca and Nico do.

I felt like an idiot for not having realized it before. But I guess, in a way, I had, I'd just been unwilling to voice the thought. But staring at Hades now, I knew it was true. Bianca and Nico were his children. That's why he'd hidden them in the Lotus Casino. That's why he'd sent someone to get them out now. Poseidon and Zeus had both broken their oath. Hades had no reason to hide his progeny anymore. Because of me, Children of the Big Three were fair game.

"I believe that is mine," Hades hissed, staring at the Helm in my hands. I hadn't even realized I was holding it, but handed it over without delay. I realized only after that I should have kept it, used it to bargain for my mother… or myself. But I didn't have the energy for cunning. After nine days of travel and pain, after Luke's betrayal and our fight, I felt like the dead, even if I didn't want to be one.

Annabeth gulped and stammered, "Lord Hades. Percy didn't steal it. It was…"

"The Son of Hermes. I saw," Hades's voice lacked all emotion. I couldn't tell if Luke's betrayal bothered him, or if he didn't care at all.

For a second, there was silence. Then I realized what Hades was waiting for. Annabeth was still holding the Master Bolt tight to her chest, as far away from Hades as possible. He glowered at her, "Give me the bolt, girl. And I'll let you both go. I'll even throw in this one's mother for the trouble. She's not really dead, just asleep, but that can change if you're uncooperative."

My heart dropped. There was no way Annabeth could give Hades the Master Bolt. Maybe he hadn't been the one to steal it originally, but no doubt he would if given the chance now.

But my mom. All I wanted was to see her safe. Was stopping a war between the gods really worth her life? Luke had been wrong about a lot of things, but he wasn't wrong about the gods. They weren't worth my mother's life.

"Lord Hades, with all due respect, I can't do that."

I can't imagine how Annabeth was feeling in that moment. I knew she liked Luke and she'd known him for a whole lot longer than I had. However bad his betray had hurt me, it must have been hurting her a million times worse. But she didn't show it. She just started down the Lord of the Underworld, not a trace of fear in her eye. I doubt anyone else had ever done that.

Darkness swirled around Hades. I wondered how many ways he could think of to kill us. Annabeth just kept speaking, "Lord Hades, my mother is Athena. She knows all about war. But she's also wise and knows when the smart thing is not to fight. Perhaps with the Master Bolt you can defeat Zeus, but Poseidon still had his trident, and all the other gods will be against you. Let us leave with the bolt and Percy's Mom. Zeus and Poseidon will both be in your debt. Isn't that better than starting a war on a whim?"

Annabeth was good. I could see Hades's hand twitching, reaching out desperately towards the bolt, but her words convinced him. He clenched his fist, but pulled away, "Very well, Daughter of Athena, but remember- this means you are in my debt as well."

That did make her look nervous, but she nodded slowly. Hades turned his gaze back to me for a second, and then waved his hand. Suddenly, from out of nowhere my mom appeared. She looked dazed and tired, but perfectly alright. Perfectly alive. My heart soared.

Then Hades waved his had, and she disappeared again. I shouted, "Mom!"

"Relax." If I didn't know Lords of the Underworld didn't roll their eyes, I would have thought that was exactly what Hades was doing. "She's safe and sound in your apartment, though by the gods what is that smell? She'll probably sleep most of the day, but otherwise, she is unharmed. We'll see if the same can be said of you once you return that to Olympus."

Hades waved his hand once more, and before us appeared a portal exactly like the one Bianca had made. If I'd needed any more confirmation she and Nico were Hades's children, that was it. Annabeth must have made the connection as well, because she gasped.

Hades smirked, and I swear there were flames burning in his eyes. "Follow this and you'll find yourselves right in Central Park. If you can't make it downtown without getting killed, that's not my fault."

Considering I'd just been betrayed by Luke, the person I trusted the most, it's a miracle that I didn't even consider the possibility that this portal was a trap. I guess I just figured Hades had no real reason to trick us. If he wanted to kill us, he could probably do that with a wave of his hand as well.

I headed towards the path, Annabeth following right behind me. The portal seemed to close behind us, but not before I heard Hades say, "Even I am not quite sure how old Bianca is, but I do know this- I shall not weep, Perseus Jackson, to see a child of Hades fulfill this prophecy."

The portal shut behind us, and once more Annabeth and I were left in the dark.


	19. The Gods Vote On Whether Or Not to Kill Me (Again)

Chapter 19- The Gods Vote On Whether Or Not to Kill Me (Again)

We ended up by the duck pond, right where I'd first met Annabeth and Luke six months before. I didn't know if that made me feel better, or worse, so I put the thought from my mind and found my way to the edge of the park. We needed a cab.

In the seat next to me, Annabeth's leg bounced rapidly. I didn't blame her for being nervous; we were riding in a cab with Zeus's Master Bolt. But I figured it was more than that. She'd stood up to Hades, yeah, but she'd stood up to Luke, her oldest friend _(and crush)_ , first. That had to be tough.

We needed to talk but I didn't know what to say. Did she blame me? I blamed myself. I certainly hadn't done anything to talk Luke from the edge. No, I'd nearly jumped with him. I should have realized he was lying to me, manipulating me into getting this quest so he could bring the bolt to Kronos without being noticed. But I hadn't. I'd been the only one who had a chance to see just how angry he was and I hadn't. I felt like that made it my fault.

"I thought it was you."

Annabeth's voice was quiet, not quite pained, but unsure. It was odd to hear; Annabeth always seemed so sure of everything. Now her whole being had been torn out from beneath her.

"My mom, she warned me that I needed to pick my friends more carefully. I thought she meant you."

She probably had. Athena had disliked me from the moment she first saw me. But not even Athena could be right every time.

I struggled to find words, and decided not to sugarcoat it. Luke and I had kept secrets from Annabeth and look how that turned out. She deserved to know just who she was throwing her lot in with. "Kronos came me to too, Annabeth. In another life, I could have been the lightning thief."

Annabeth's gaze met mine. She held it for a moment, then shook her head, "No. You never would Percy. That's the difference between you and Luke. So long as his dad suffers, Luke doesn't care who else gets hurt along the way. I'm not sure you could sacrifice someone you cared about to save the whole world."

She said that almost like it was a bad thing, but I hoped it was true. When I thought about how close I'd been to joining Luke, joining Kronos, I wasn't so sure. But I didn't fight her about it. Instead, I said, "Luke might still come around. Don't give up on him yet, Annabeth."

Annabeth blinked in surprise, but then a smile flashed across her face, "I had no intention of it, Seaweed Brain."

The familiar insult let me breathe a sigh of relief. Despite everything, it looked like Annabeth and I would be okay. I was grateful for that. I couldn't stand the thought of losing my only other friend.

The cabbie had that song on again, the country one Annabeth liked about Jesus taking the wheel. I wondered if it maybe it could apply to Greek demigods as well. Luke was obsessed with fighting Fate, but I had the feeling that Luke's betrayal of the gods was the terrible Fate he'd been trying to avoid. His choices had set his path, just like my choices would set mine. There was little use worrying about the future. It's not like I had any way of controlling it.

That said… I might not have a future left to worry about. As we pulled up to the Empire State Building, I wondered how I could possibly explain this to Luke and not find myself with an E-Z Pass right back to the Underworld.

We climbed out of the cab, and looked up. You couldn't see Olympus from the ground, but I remembered it well enough. It had been the longest and most painful month of my life, but it had only been a month.

"Here," Annabeth told me, offering the bolt to me. "If we're going to avoid war, it needs to come from you. A peace offering from the Son of Poseidon to the Lord of Olympus, a sign of your truce."

We'd been talking about the Peloponnesian Wars in class just before I'd left for the quest. Athens and Sparta kept making truces, swearing before the gods they'd never fight again. It never seemed to last. Still, I tried to push the pessimistic thoughts from my head, and accepted the lightning bolt. At least this way Zeus would be more likely to smite me than Annabeth.

The doorman was reading when we approached, and when he finally looked up, I could tell he wanted nothing to do with us. It felt like an appropriate welcome for Olympus. "We're heading to the 600th floor."

"There's no…"

I cut him off by waving the Master Bolt before him. His eyes went wide, and he quickly pulled out the keycard and handed it over. "Go, now, before someone sees!"

I grabbed the key, stuffing the bolt in my backpack. (Well, actually it was Luke's backpack, the one he'd been hiding the bolt and helm in our whole trip. But I didn't really want to think about that.) Then Annabeth and I pushed through the crowds and got right in the elevator. Once we put in the key for Olympus, we shot right up.

The music had somehow gotten worse over the last month. Maybe it reflected Zeus's mood or something. My ears were practically burning when we got to the top. I didn't expect Olympus to look any different though, not once we got to the top.

I was utterly wrong. The moment we stepped out of the elevator, I could feel the tension in the air. Minor gods and spirits went about their work, but no one stuck around to chat. There was no denying that the threat of war hung over the place. You could see it in the eyes of everyone we passed… up to the moment they dropped their gaze, at least.

I don't know if was because they didn't know who we were, or because they did, but no one stopped us from walking right up to the throne room. Annabeth reached out, grabbing my hand. I wasn't sure if she was reassuring me or herself, but I appreciated it. I squeezed her hand tight and then let go, stepping over the threshold and into Zeus's realm.

I was surprised for a second that all the gods were there. Normally that only happened during the solstices. But then I realized there were some missing. Artemis and Demeter. Hera and Mr. D. None of them were anywhere to be seen. It was just the others, the ones with the most vested interest in our quest- Zeus, my dad, Athena, Ares, Apollo, Aphrodite, and Hermes- who sat upon their thrones. Apollo didn't even look like he wanted to be there, so I wondered why he was. Ares looked sad to see us, as if he'd been hoping for war. Athena and Zeus were glaring at me. Aphrodite and my father looked content. As for Hermes… well I couldn't quite bring myself to look at Luke's father.

I tried to stay focused on my task, but it was difficult with so many eyes upon me. So I just set my eyes upon Zeus and didn't look away. When I finally got to the base of his throne, I bowed my head enough that he might not kill me, and then pulled the Master Bolt from my bag. "I believe this is yours."

Zeus glared at me, "Tell me, thief, why I shouldn't blast you to pieces."

I snapped my jaw shut to avoid telling Zeus off. I was fully aware of Annabeth besides me, and didn't want to get her in anymore trouble than I had to. So I did my best to keep my temper, "Because, Uncle, I'm not a thief. I found your bolt, yes, and I'm returning it before you start a war. But I didn't take it."

"Perseus," my father must have known I'd inherited his temper, because there was a careful warning in his tone. I looked up at him, our eyes meeting. Just like the first time I'd met him, I couldn't tell what he was thinking, but it was pretty obvious what he wanted me to do.

I set the bolt down at the edge of Zeus's throne. He quickly snatched it up, inspecting it for any damage, but he didn't smote me immediately. I took that as my cue to explain. The words seemed to tumble out, and once I started talking, I didn't stop. When I forgot something, Annabeth would chime in besides me. I told him about Kronos coming to Luke and me in our dreams, of Luke's anger and willingness to turn against the gods. She explained how we'd made it to LA, and all the random dangerous encounters we'd had along the way. Between us we told Zeus everything, which probably wasn't smart, but I was beginning to see the dangers of omission.

No, that's not true. We told Zeus _almost_ everything. Somehow we both knew better than to mention too much about Bianca and Nico. I couldn't omit them completely, not with Aphrodite right there listening, but if they really were Hades's children... Yes, Zeus would find out eventually, but Nico was ten. I'd protect him as long as I could. And either Aphrodite didn't know, or she didn't care, because she didn't comment on my omission.

(Though I did hear her mutter, "A shame he didn't have to kiss them.")

Finally I got the end of my story, and I stopped speaking. For a moment, no one said anything. Then, Zeus turned to Hermes and asked, "This son of yours, do you know where he is now?"

I was suddenly reminded of the fact that Zeus was Hermes's father, and wondered if maybe Hermes knew exactly how Luke felt. He was an immortal god, but Hermes seemed pale when he said, "No, Father. I don't. The Traveler's Blessing won't wear off for at least another week, and he could be a world away by then."

I would never say it aloud, but I wondered if Hermes had planned it that way. Luke was convinced his dad stunk, but I could see how much he cared. If only Luke could as well.

I think Zeus may have guessed Hermes's game, because he glared. But he turned away, dark gaze falling upon me. "Well then, it seems that the only question which remains is what we shall do to you. You call this thief 'friend'. You admit to having conspired with the enemy of the gods. You are aware, are you not, of why my brothers and I swore to have no more children?"

I nodded. Since Luke mentioned it, I hadn't been able to stop thinking about this supposed prophecy.

"Then tell me, Perseus Jackson. Why should I let you, who have already been tempted by Kronos, live to turn sixteen?"

Luke had been right. That didn't surprise me at all, but it still hurt. I'd almost died retrieving Zeus's stupid bolt. I'd fought the guy I called brother. And my reward? More death threats.

I looked to my father. He didn't jump to his feet in my defense like he had at the first time. It occurred to me that perhaps he didn't know what to think of me anymore than I knew what to think of him. We had the same eyes, after all. If I couldn't read his face, maybe he couldn't read mine.

Still, he did defend me, his voice cool and calm when he said, "Perseus has done nothing to warrant such a punishment, brother. He has overcome many obstacles and done you a tremendous service at great personal cost. That he has faced temptation and resisted it says far more about his character than had he never been tempted at all."

I'll admit it; my heart swelled with pride. Sure, my dad hadn't actually said "You did well", but that was just about as close as I'm pretty sure godly parents can get. I might have even smiled at the praise had I not still been worried about my impending execution.

"Besides, Percy is only twelve. For a mortal child such as himself, four years is quite some time. Let him return to Chiron's school, study the way of heroes and prove his loyalty. Only with time shall we know for certain if the prophecy even applies to him."

Zeus didn't look convinced. It was actually kind of scary. Not because he wanted to kill me. I guess I was getting used to that. No, what I found scary was that Zeus was so terrified of Kronos that he'd risk war with my father over something I might do in three-and-a-half years. If I'd been uncertain before that Kronos was bad news, I knew it then.

"Apollo," Zeus snapped. The god didn't seem to hear him, so Zeus shouted louder, "Apollo."

The god had taken on the form of a teenager, and perfected the expressions of one as well. He looked utterly disinterested as he pulled out his earbuds and said, "Yes, Father?"

"Can you tell with certainty if this son of Poseidon is a child of prophecy?"

Apollo had been slouching in his throne, but promptly sat up. When his gaze fell upon me, I was instantly reminded of the raging mummy in the Big House's attic. I supposed it made sense; the Oracle got its power from Apollo. Still, it was creepier to see such a youthful and bright god looking so utterly hollow as well. At least it only lasted a moment. Then Apollo blinked, and waved his hand, "Well yes."

My heart dropped. I was dead. I was definitely dead.

"He just got back from a quest, didn't he? A rather nice prophecy, if I do say so myself. What do you think, were you the winner or the loser of that duel?"

My stomach turned to knots. I hadn't really thought about it, but I didn't know. Luke had disarmed me, so I guess that meant I'd lost. The Moirai's curse was mine. Except ultimately I'd ended up with the bolt, so did that make me the winner? Or was Annabeth the winner? Gods, I hoped not. I didn't think there was anything worse than a cursed fate, but if there was, I didn't want it falling to Annabeth because I'd been foolish.

"There are others as well, prophecies yet unspoken, yet ancient all the same. Even I can't quite pin them down."

Zeus had had quite enough of his son's rambling, and snapped, "You know which prophecy I mean. Is he the child of the eldest gods?"

Apollo started at me for a moment longer, then shrugged. "He could be, or he could not be. It hasn't been determined yet."

I breathed a sigh of relief. My father seized his opportunity, "You see, brother, his thread is yet unwoven. There is no need to be rash."

I held my breath. Besides me, Annabeth did as well. Then Zeus turned to the other gods gathered, "Let us take a vote then. Should Poseidon go unpunished for breaking his oath? Or shall we set this right now. Who shall join me in seeing justice done?"

Ares raised his hand immediately. No surprise there- I was pretty sure he'd one come in hopes of starting a war. Aphrodite's petite hand remained upon her lap. I suppose my death didn't fit into her plans for my tragic love-life. My father and Hermes also supported me, and I'm not quite sure which felt better. I'd failed Luke. Failed Hermes. He would have been within his right to call for my death, but he didn't. Neither did Apollo, though he'd put back in his earbuds so I'm not even sure he knew we were voting.

All eyes rested upon Athena. If she voted against me, the gods would be tied, and since Zeus was king, he'd probably say something like, 'well my vote counts twice so you die now'. If she voted for me, though, Zeus wouldn't have a leg to stand on. Athena, the patroness of Athens, home of democracy. It seemed only fitting that her choice should determine my fate, but I figured I was dead. She'd never liked me. She'd certainly never liked my father. It was the perfect opportunity to get revenge for all the times he'd humiliated her.

"I vote nay. There are times when the wise decision is not to fight. For sparing his life, Perseus Jackson will be in our debt. Only time shall determine whether he is the child of the prophecy, but it is better to wait than to start a war on a whim," mused Athena, her eyes settled upon Annabeth's face. Maybe it was the sight of her daughter's pleading face that had softened her heart, or maybe she just knew Annabeth had such much the same thing to Hades earlier. I didn't care. All I cared about was that I wasn't about to die.

YIPEEEEEEEE!

Then Athena turned her head to stare me down, and my excitement was tempered. "Do not mistake me, Son of Poseidon. Should there come a day when it is unwise to permit your continued existence, I will gladly strike you down. This is your second chance. There shall not be a third."

I gulped, but nodded. Honestly, that was kind of fair. Far fairer than I would have expected the gods to be. I wished Luke was there to see it, but of course by making the gods his enemy, Luke had guaranteed he would never again see their 'soft' side.

Zeus looked utterly infuriated to discover himself outvoted, but he didn't do anything unseemly. Instead he stood, Master Bolt clenched in his fist, and said, "I must purify this of its mortal taint. It is my sincerest wish that none of you will still be here when I return."

 _Let him leave_. Shouted the logical self-preserving side of my brain. _Keep your mouth shut for one second and just let him leave._ "But what about Kronos? Shouldn't you do something?"

I could see the electricity flickering around Zeus's form, but he managed to keep his cool, "There is no need. His plan was foiled, and shall not be attempted again. His servant is powerless and on the run. It shall be another millennium before he attempts something of this scale, no doubt."

Then Zeus disappeared from the hall.

Apollo and Ares left immediately, one looking relieved, the other, disappointed. I was torn between approaching Hermes and apologizing for not saving Luke, and going to my father. I probably would have gone towards Hermes- at least I knew what to say to him- but when I looked, the god had disappeared. Athena had already pulled Annabeth aside and was speaking to her quietly. My friend didn't look particularly upset, so I figured it was a good conversation. I had no excuse not to fall in at my father's side.

He'd shrunk down to normal size, and in his flip-flops and Hawaiian shirt, you could almost believe he was a normal, chill kind of guy. But there was a tenseness between us that you couldn't deny, a certain distance. It wasn't even all him. After everything that had happened, I wasn't all that inclined towards reaching out to him.

Ultimately, he ended up reaching out to me, quite literally, as he set a hand upon my shoulder, "I'll walk you to the elevator."

He kept his heavy hand upon my shoulder the whole way out of the throne room, but didn't say anything else. Finally I broke the silence with the question I needed an answer to, for better or for worse. "The cyclopes. They're your children, right? Did you send them after me?"

"No," he didn't even hesitate, and I knew it was true. I breathed a major sigh of relief. Okay. Good. If my dad had tried to kill me… I don't know if I could have dealt with that. But anything else, anything else we might be able to forgive. After seeing what holding grudges had done to Luke, I was looking for any possible way to keep my own anger from getting so bad.

A few more seconds of silence as we walked down the palace steps. Then he asked, "Did you believe I had?"

I shrugged, and my dad removed his hand from my shoulder. It was literally a weight off my shoulders, but it didn't necessarily feel any better. "Not really, I guess. Luke said you had. And there were times when I couldn't help but think… I mean, if I didn't exist, you'd be a lot better off, wouldn't you? So if you had, I guess I would have gotten why. It would have been majorly uncool…but I would have gotten it. I'm glad though, that you didn't."

My dad stopped walking momentarily. When I turned to face him, I realized that, for the first time, I could clearly make out the mix of regret and sorrow upon his face. "My son, if you only know one thing, know this- I shall never hurt you. I cannot always protect you. Zeus has forbidden it, and the Fates do not smile upon gods who interfere in the affairs of their children. But if it is within my power to spare you pain, I will every time. I do care about you, Percy. Deeply."

I believed him. Even if it was allowed, I doubted he would have been very good at showing his affection. The sea wasn't very good at restraint, at control. You swum too far from shore and you'd never return. Nevertheless, the sea was home to millions of creatures. It was good to its own, and for better or for worse, I was a son of the sea.

"I know."

My answer wasn't much, but it was enough for him. He started walking once more, though after a moment he asked, "This son of Hermes. He was a friend of yours?"

I was wholly tempted to kick the dirt, but the streets of Olympus were cobblestone, and utterly unsuitable to dirt kicking. That forced me to be vaguely mature about it, though I kept my gaze down, "Yeah, we were close."

My dad nodded his head. I wondered if he was going to offer me some sage advice about what you did when your best friend started working for your evil grandfather. Maybe he was going to tell me about my (ancient and dead) brother, Theseus, whose best friend Pirithous had gotten them both trapped in the Underworld because Pirithous wanted to steal Persephone. But I guess he really was my father, because all he said was, "You were right to fight him. Do not doubt that either. You shall have other friends, and other enemies."

We were nearly to the elevator at this point. I could see Annabeth coming towards me, smiling brightly, Yankee cap in her hand. Apparently she'd proven herself wise to Athena. I was glad, really.

"Well, I must return to Atlantis," my dad sighed. I didn't know if he was sad to part so soon, or relieved. It wasn't like we were having a very sustained conversation. (Though it had certainly given me plenty to think about, and lifted my spirits.)

"It may be some time before we can speak again, but if I can manage it, I will send you a message before then. This is only the beginning of your quest, Percy. From here on out, things shall only get more difficult. But before you go, I shall offer you some good news. Hades did indeed return your mother home. As for your step-father, he may soon find his fortunes reversed, but I shall let your mother fill you in on the details." I could see a smile on the corner of his lips, so I figured it would be good. "Now you must return to school, for there is much to learn, and one is never young for long enough."

Wow. Maybe Poseidon did have the 'dad' thing down pat. I was impressed. All he needed was a dad joke and the deal would be cinched.

Annabeth stood a little ways back, but I wasn't quite sure how to say goodbye. It wasn't the leaving which was hard (okay, that was a little hard) but I really just didn't know what to say. So I settled on something simple, "I guess I'll see you when I see you then."

My dad opened his mouth, then shut it. Finally he nodded and backed away. Together, Annabeth and I climbed in the elevator and began our journey back to school. Our quest was over.


	20. I Have A Lot Of Makeup Work

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wait, I'm actually remembering to update two days in a row? Sounds like a lie. Anyways, enjoy. Only one more after this! Also, I love Percy tragically misunderstanding Aphrodite's words so much.

Chapter 20- I Have A Lot Of Make Up Work

We made it back to school without being attacked by a single monster, which proved that, momentarily at least, the gods were pleased. When we got there, Chiron took one look at us and sent us to our houses for a shower and a nap. Considering I didn't know what day it was, and I certainly didn't have any of my homework done, I appreciated not being sent right to class.

(Turns out it was a Sunday, January 29th, so I didn't have classes anyways, but it was the thought which counts.)

By dinnertime I was squeaky clean, if a little groggy, and prepared to join the masses. I was glad I did. To celebrate our successful quest, we held a special feast and then went outside to burn our funeral shrouds. I noticed quite distinctly that there was no sign of the shroud for Luke, but tried not to let it sour my mood. Annabeth's siblings had made a beautiful shroud of silver, complete with an owl emblazoned upon it. Since I didn't have any siblings, Celia had decided that we 'children of the sea' had to stick together and attempted to make me a shroud out of seaweed with some of the Hermes kids. It was disastrous and if I'd actually had to be buried in it I would have felt stupid, but it was fun to burn.

Throughout the party, there was a tendril of tension and grief which wove through the whole school, especially Hermes House. No one spoke about it. I don't think a single person dared say Luke's name. But everyone knew what he'd done, and now everyone was trying to decide what they would have done in his place.

Still, I didn't let it spoil my fun. I had the feeling there would be plenty of days to come where I had to worry about Luke. I was still bound by my oath upon the River Styx, and I would have helped him regardless. No, I wasn't about to forget Luke, but for one night I put him from my mind and just celebrated. I was alive! I'd stopped World War III! Yippee!

As I suspected, the pearl had brought Bianca and Nico to school safely. They seemed to be settling in fairly well. Nico was too young to actually go to AA, but like Annabeth living there since she was seven, no one really questioned it. He'd already begun teaching a bunch of kids how to play 'Mythomagic', and seemed generally content with asking a million questions. At least no one had slapped him yet.

Bianca was rooming with Celia, and the two of them were both reserved enough to get along. Mostly Bianca stuck with her brother, but I think she did it for her own sake as much as for his. Maybe it was easier for her to pretend she was just watching out for her brother, but it gave her a good excuse to stick to the shadows.

The shadows- I knew Bianca and I needed to have a conversation about her father, and soon. Chiron was already asking me questions I didn't want to answer about the di Angelo siblings. But I decided to give Bianca the chance to celebrate as well. I couldn't bring myself to discuss Hades or prophecies when Bianca and Nico were just learning how to do the Cotton-Eyed Joe. (Though why Apollo House had decided that was the most important song for them to learn, I can't tell you.)

It was only right before bed that I finally pulled Bianca aside. She seemed to have been expecting it, and sent Nico on ahead with the other Hermes kids. Then the two of us wandered down by the beach where we'd have some privacy.

I didn't really know how to break the news to her, so I decided to start simple, "How are you and Nico liking it here?"

"It's nice," she told me, though the expression on her face was rather sullen. I realized why when she kicked off her boots and dumped a pile of sand out. I guess being the Son of Poseidon kept sand out of my shoes too. Good to know.

Now that Bianca was barefoot, we continued walking along the beach. For a moment, I studied her. It made me blush to think about, but Aphrodite had sent me to the Lotus Casino on a quest for 'tragic love'. Did that mean Bianca and I were supposed to be a couple? She was pretty, I guess, but there was a certain heaviness to her that I wasn't sure about. I liked her well enough, but I couldn't see myself _liking_ her. It was almost easier to picture myself with Annabeth than Bianca. But maybe I just apprehensive about liking the daughter of Hades.

Honestly, I'd never realized that when people said 'love drives you crazy' they meant 'love goddesses make you overthink everything'. Or maybe they didn't and that was just a 'me' problem. It was probably just a 'me' problem. I decided to just do my best to forget I'd ever met Aphrodite. If I was destined to love Bianca, or anyone for that matter, hopefully it would come naturally.

"Bianca, I know who your dad is."

I hadn't meant to just blurt it out, but since I didn't have any better way of saying them, I guess it worked out. The words stopped Bianca in her tracks. She frowned, "You do?"

"It's…" I took a deep breath. I'd fought monsters and stared down gods. I could do this! "Your dad is Hades. I don't know the details, but I know that."

I guess Bianca must have already more-or-less come to that conclusion, because she didn't seem shocked. She just nodded and started walking once more. "I guess the portal to the Underworld gave it away."

I mean, yeah. She wasn't wrong. Unfortunately, it wasn't that simple "Bianca, it's entirely up to you what you want to do, but there is something you need to know. Hades isn't supposed to have kids. He, Zeus, and my dad, Poseidon, they all agreed not to have anymore demigod children after World War II. If the gods knew you and Nico existed, they'd be really upset."

Bianca gave me a look like 'but you exist, don't you'? But what she said was, "But Nico and I were born before the war, so that doesn't apply to us, does it?"

"The oath itself, no, but there was a reason they made the oath. Apparently there is this prophecy that says the next child of the Big Three gods who turns sixteen will have the power either to save Olympus or destroy it. I don't know the details, and I doubt Chiron would tell me, but I know Zeus is terrified of this prophecy coming true. He almost killed me over it. If he knew about you and Nico, he'd be furious. Especially because we don't know exactly how old you are."

"Because then we don't know who's older, you or me." Bianca finished. She stared up at the sky, but there was no moon. Besides for light coming from the school, it was as dark as her father's domain.

I gave her a moment to process this news. Honestly it was a lot for me as well, but she deserved the truth. She seemed to take it well. Or she at least didn't appear as frightened by it as I felt. "Thank you, Percy. I think I understand now. It's best if no one knows where Nico and I came from, and that includes Nico."

What? "You're not going to tell him?"

Bianca bit her lip, but shook her head. "No. He's so young, Percy. So innocent. Knowing wouldn't do him any good. Let's let him be happy. We're both twelve, so at least we know the prophecy doesn't apply to him. Let's leave it at that. When he's ready, I'll tell him, but I need you to promise me that you will let me decide when he's ready."

I didn't like it. I knew what it was like to sit around Hermes House waiting for someone to claim you. Four months of that had nearly turned me against my father. Was it really a good idea to let Nico go through that?

At the same time, I remembered how happy Nico had looked. Sure he was clueless and a little annoying, but he was happy. If he knew his father was Lord of the Dead, would that change? I'd learned firsthand how easily the other kids here could turn upon you. I didn't care who their dad was. Annabeth didn't care. Could the same be said of everyone? Hades wasn't allowed on Olympus for a reason. Were his kids really just going to be able to live in peace, even here at AA?

Besides, Bianca was his sister, Nico's only mortal family. If anyone knew what was best for him, it was her. I'd just have to trust her judgement. (Though I certainly wasn't about to make another oath on the River Styx.) So I told Bianca, "Okay, I'll let you tell him. But if things change and he needs to know, you can't wait. Once he's ready to handle it, Nico deserves the truth."

* * *

 

Returning to Poseidon House, I crashed on my cot. I ended up oversleeping and had to rush to class the next morning. There, Annabeth and I were greeted with a week's worth of makeup work. You'd think that saving the world would give us enough brownie points to get out of it, but nuh-huh. We had to read the "Odyssey" for Greek, "The Hatchet" for English, teach ourselves how to divide fractions, and do a half-dozen things for our other classes.

In a way, it was a good thing. The first few weeks back I was so swamped with work that I hardly had time for breathing, so I never noticed Luke wasn't there to spar with. Annabeth and I spent all our time together trying to pool our brainpower (or well, I took some of her brainpower), so I wasn't ever lonely. And at nights I was so tired I barely dreamed.

In short, I was too busy to notice the gaping hole Luke had left both at the school, and within my life. By the time things had calmed down enough for me to really miss him, it was February break, and I was going home. I'd hardly spoken to my mom. We'd sent a couple letters back and forth just reassuring each other that we were alright, but I didn't really know what was happening outside of school. I stood at the bottom of half-blood hill, knee bouncing, waiting for her to pull up. Just the fact that she was driving out here to pick me up struck me as strange, though I remembered my dad's comment about Gabe's changing fortunes.

When I finally spotted my mom, the first thing I noticed was that Gabe had gotten a new car. That made sense considering we'd destroyed his last one in Pennsylvania, but I'd already forgotten all about that. It made me smile, then frown. Annabeth, Luke and I had had a pretty good time in that car counting cows.

Second thing I noticed, Gabe's new car didn't smell like Gabe. As I climbed in and let my mom kiss me, I decided it smelled almost nice, new and sweet, like my mom.

As for my mom, she looked well for someone who'd spent over a month frozen in the Underworld. "Not much," she told me when I asked what she remembered of that time. "I remember being grabbed, but then I woke up at home and discovered a month was gone."

I wondered if that was entirely true. I loved my mom, but sometimes she tried to protect me from too much. If she did remember Hades, she probably wouldn't admit it. But in the end, I didn't press. If she had nightmares about the Underworld, then at least I wasn't alone.

"Gabe must have been surprised when you just showed up like that," I remarked. He certainly hadn't responded well when I used the pearl to appear in my room.

"Oh no, Gabe wasn't there," my mom answered, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "But enough of me. I want to know how you've been."

I told her the story of our trip, or a much abridged version, at least. I left out the moments when I almost died; my mom didn't need that stress. It was impossible though to cut out Luke completely, especially since my mom knew we were already friends. So I told her everything. When I described how angry I'd been at Dad, she looked a little sad, but she didn't interrupt me. I was grateful for that. It was much easier just to keep going. When I finally reached the end, and told her about my conversation with Dad on Olympus, her eyes were wet with tears. But I could see her smile as well.

"Percy," she told me. "I hope you know that your father is not the only one who is proud of you. You are an incredibly brave and selfless young man, and I could not ever wish for a better son."

I'll admit it- her words made me blush. I knew she was my mom and she loved me no matter what and therefore she had to say things like that, but it still felt good. Besides, if there was one thing I was learning from my classmates it was that not every parent did love their child like they should. Luke's mom was crazy. Annabeth's dad didn't want her. Bianca and Nico's couldn't even remember their mom, but she was probably dead after sixty-six years. I was lucky to have my mom. I'd always known that, but I was just starting to understand it.

Didn't mean I would blush any less at her praise, or not try to hide from her kisses. She was still majorly embarrassing, but I loved her too.

I suddenly realized that we'd taken a wrong turn coming off the highway. Were we not going home? My mom must have noticed my confusion, but she didn't say anything. Instead we drove in silence, listening to the radio, until we came upon an apartment building I didn't know.

"Mom? Where are we?" I asked, but she ignored me, parking the car and hopping out. I decided to just go with it, grabbed my bag, and followed her.

The building was nice. Nothing fancy, of course, but nicer than where we lived. I tried to remember if maybe this was where one of my mom's friends lived, but I couldn't think of it. But still, why would we be here instead of at our apartment? Had Gabe kicked her out?

I clenched my fists. If Gabe had kicked my mom out on the streets… I'd kill him. Chiron always said we should never hurt mortals, but I was pretty sure Gabe had crossed the threshold into monster years ago. Or maybe I could just scare him witless. It might be funny to watch Gabe pee his pants.

We climbed up five flights of stairs, which might have been difficult if I wasn't so in shape, and then my mom led me to an apartment. My heart jumped when I saw a sea-shell encrusted plaque with the name **Jackson**  written by the door. My mom was definitely living here, but why? No, not just why, how? It wasn't the Ritz-Carlton, but we couldn't afford two apartments, especially not one this nice. And on top of the new car?

The apartment wasn't anything special. There was a decent sized living room and kitchen, then a hallway leading to the bedrooms. It was pretty though. My mom couldn't have been living here for more than a few weeks, but she'd already managed to turn it into a home. There was a shelf covered in pictures of us, or well, mostly me in awkward stages of development. On the wall behind the couch, there was a large photograph of the sun setting along the coast. There was a definite theme to the decorations, and I noticed a tub of blue paint upon a mat. I knew instantly that this was my home, my mom and mine and no one else's. It made me smile, even though I was massively confused.

"Where's Gabe?"

"Riker's Island," my mother answered, unable to hide her smirk. I didn't even understand and I grinned at the words. "Apparently, while investigating our murder, the police discovered a number of financial irregularities in Gabe's managing of the Mega Mart. They arrested him just hours before I came home."

It didn't surprise me in the least. I'd always thought it was a little funny how Gabe never seemed to actually work and yet made enough money to waste on booze and poker. Still, my mom was married to him, so didn't that mean she'd have to pay back any money he stole? "But how did you afford this?"

"Really, it's not that much more a month than the old one, but it felt good to leave. Besides, apparently Butler County Pennsylvania owes us damages for destroying Gabe's car and injuring us in a gas explosion."

I bit my lip. I suppose what Butler County didn't know couldn't hurt them. Not if it meant my mom could get away from Gabe. Besides, I'd saved Butler County from invasion by hellhound AND World War III. Just because they didn't know it didn't mean I shouldn't get my reward.

"Don't get too excited. We won't be taking any trips to Disneyworld, but I have put down a deposit on my first semester at NYU. And a rather wonderful young divorce lawyer named Ms. Dike has agreed to represent me pro-bono."

There was a smirk on my mom's face as she mentioned this lawyer, but I didn't quite get it. I didn't really care though. My mom was free of Gabe and going back to school. It was everything I'd ever wanted for her, and for once, I initiated the hug.

The next week was absolutely wonderful.

Sure, when I went to the movies on Wednesday I _may_ have gotten in a slight altercation with a woman named enchiladas and her pet monster, but the police didn't even have to pass it off as a gas explosion, so it obviously wasn't that bad. I didn't even tell my mom about it, because she looked so happy flitting about our new home, and really, for me, it wasn't a big deal.

I'd always more-or-less avoided the area around the Empire State Building to avoid tourists, but that break I'd made a special effort not to annoy Zeus. Still, the Empire State building was hard to miss even among the high-rises of Manhattan. More than once I'd find myself glancing up, trying to catch a glimpse of the godly realm. No matter how hard I looked though, I couldn't see it. I took that as a good sign. I didn't need the gods interfering anymore in my life.

On Saturday, the day before I was due to return to school, I was just walking home when I realized that the mailman who'd been following me the last block was Hermes.

Upon realizing this, I didn't know exactly what to do. Should I stop and say hello? If he wasn't looking for me, that would be embarrassing. It might even be disastrous. Maybe he regretted not voting to kill me. I'd failed Luke after all, so he had every right to be angry. And if he was angry and didn't know I was there, it was probably not a good idea to say 'hi'.

Then again, it seemed pretty unlikely that Hermes would be following me and not know I was there. Sure, he was the messenger of the gods, but that didn't mean he actually had to deliver the world's mail personally. The mailman thing had to be a disguise.

But why bother? So far as I could tell, Zeus had only forbidden the gods from interacting with their own children. Aphrodite and Hermes had both dropped in on my quest no questions asked. Were the rules different during a quest? Or was Hermes just in trouble because of Luke and trying to keep his head down?

I didn't know, but I finally decided that I would go insane waiting for Hermes to make the first more. I stopped walking, ducking into an alleyway. A moment later, Hermes rounded the corner. He looked nervous, but not necessarily angry. I decided that was a good thing.

"Sign here," Hermes told me, pulling out a stylus and pen. I didn't have a clue what I was signing for, I might easily have signed away my life, but I did as he asked. Then I jumped; as soon as I signed, the pen and stylus both turned into snakes.

"Don't grip so tight!" one of the snakes chastised. (In case you're curious, that sentence just sums up what it means to be a half-blood.)

"Hush you, he didn't know," the other snake hissed. "Don't mind George, dear."

"Both of you hush," Hermes told the snakes. They immediately transformed into a phone, which Hermes proceeded to set to vibrate. "Don't mind them. Here's your letter. Just don't open it until I leave."

I was about to ask why. Then I recognized the handwriting on the front and my heart dropped- Luke.

I looked up at Hermes, expecting some explanation. If he was carrying messages from Luke then he had to have seen him. Was he okay? Was Hermes going to turn him over to Zeus?

Hermes looked back at me expectant, like he was hoping I had the answers. But how could I? This was the first I'd heard of Luke since our fight. There was a part of me that was glad about that. I wanted to kill Luke, but I'd been worried he was dead as well.

The intensity of Hermes's gaze made me nervous, so I had to say something, "Look, Lord Hermes. I'm really sorry about Luke. You asked me to help him, and I failed. But there was nothing I could do. I tried to tell him you cared, but he wouldn't listen. He hates you, and he's scared. There was no way I could get him to listen. I'm sorry."

Hermes looked down at the letter in my hand, and said, "You make it sound like you're done trying. Like you failed, end of story. If you truly care about my son, then you'd know your work is only beginning. Besides from the way I understand it, you've made an oath on the River Styx. If you give up now, you're cursed."

I was pretty sure I was already cursed. I'd been born out of a broken oath, after all. But Hermes was right; I couldn't give up on Luke yet. Still, I'd only sworn to do everything in my power to save him from his fate. I wasn't sure it _was_ within my power to turn Luke from his chosen path. That didn't mean I wouldn't try. I'm a sucker for punishment. But I didn't want Hermes getting his hopes up. I wasn't sure Luke could still be saved.

"But I don't know how to get through to him," I admitted. I glanced down at the letter in my hand, wondering what it would say. I also had no desire what-so-ever to read it. "And you know what, I'm mad at him. I almost died because he trusts Kronos, and he lied to me. Our whole quest was just one giant trick. He was playing us!"

"You think I'm not mad at him?" Hermes seemed to glow slightly at the words, as if his anger made it difficult to hide his true form. I hoped he wouldn't lose it and accidentally vaporize me.

"I'm furious at Luke. If I get my hands on him, I'll do something I'll later regret. Luke's selfish, prideful and wrong- but he's still my son. I still love him. If you want to yell at him, be my guest, but you have to get him back first. As for how, I can't help you. I've never known how to get through to Luke. But he's got it in his head that he's doing this for you. If anyone can make him listen, it is you."

Scary thing is- I knew Hermes was right. That didn't make me feel much better though. I didn't want Luke's fate in my hands. My hands tended to fidget and shake. Still, even as I gulped, I told Hermes, "I'm going to try. I just don't know if I'll succeed."

It wasn't much, but Hermes seemed content with my answer. He nodded, "None of us ever do, but if we give up on family, we don't deserve to. Now, I'd best be off. Messages to deliver. Travelers to protect. I'm sure our paths will cross again, perhaps sooner than we expect. Until then, Son of Poseidon."

Hermes disappeared, and I was left with Luke's letter. It took me a moment to get up the courage to open it, but finally I did. Inside, Luke had written in Greek, probably because he knew it was easier for me to read, but even then it took me a few minutes to understand the short message.

**Percy,**

**I'm not going to tell you where I am. I'm not stupid. But I want you and Annabeth to know I'm fine. I've got some backers, actually, and am living in style. You'll see soon enough. I'm sorry for what happened in the Underworld. I shouldn't have pushed you so far. I knew you weren't ready. But when you are, you'll know how to find me. This is a lot bigger than even I knew, Percy, and it's happening. Olympus shall be razed, with or without you. If you're not on the right side of things when it is, I'm not sure I'll be able to protect you. And I don't mean from Kronos. The gods are going to turn on you. I hope you find me before they do.**

**-Luke**


	21. Bring On the Monsters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading. See you at the finish line!

Chapter 21- Bring On the Monsters

February turned to June, but don't ask me how. In typical ADHD fashion, I completely lost track of time.

Don't get me wrong, the next few months were never boring. With 100 half-bloods on one campus, I don't think 'boring' is an option.

The March edition of capture the flag turned out to be the most vicious yet. Hermes House, desperate to prove themselves after Luke, decided to take on the rest of the school under Travis Stole's leadership. I wouldn't have pegged him as much of a fighter, but I guess he wanted to show once and for all that Hermes didn't need Luke to be strong.

The game only ended up lasting nine minutes, but all of Hephaestus House ended up in the infirmary. To make it worse, the Apollo kids were stuck in some sort of fugue-state, and so there wasn't even anyone to take care of them. As for me, I spent the whole game dangling upside down by my ankle, giant ants trying to eat me. Definitely not my best moment.

The Hephaestus kids weren't usually considered to have bad tempers. I guess everyone somehow forgot that the word 'volcano' comes from Hephaestus's Roman name. Some people said the Romans hadn't even had a word for volcano until Vulcan's wrath destroyed Pompeii. Whatever the case, it turns out you shouldn't mess with the Hephaestus kids. Two days after their bitter humiliation, they got their revenge. Nico, who didn't actually go to class, was alone when it happened, which is probably the only reason no one got hurt. When Nico opened the fridge, Travis's room- Luke any my old room- went up in flames, the kitchen was filled with a smell bad enough to make Nico vomit, and the girls' bathroom was filled with decapitated Barbie dolls.

(The worst bit of damage was the giant crack in the ground into which half the house collapsed, but I'm pretty sure that bit came from Nico. Bianca refused to admit it though, and even Nico wasn't sure what happened, so I didn't push it.)

Whatever the case, Hephaestus House all got detention for the week, but the damage was done. I ended up taking in twenty kids while they rebuilt Hermes House, and we had a great time. I'd forgotten how nice it was to live with other people, and was sad to see them go. The first night after Hermes House reopened, I felt lonelier than I'd been in a long time.

Celia ended up solving that problem for me. The next day, she got in a fight with her roommates, and showed up at my door looking for a place to crash. I gladly let her, (What was I supposed to do with six extra bedrooms?) and we had a fun little water gun fight. We didn't even need water guns either, since Celia was getting better at controlling water. We just shaped our fingers to look like guns, filled up the sink, and then ran around the kitchen getting soaked. Good times.

For the first two days, Chiron turned a blind eye, but then someone must have complained because he pulled me aside to say that it really wasn't appropriate for Celia to stay in Poseidon House. Surprisingly, because I didn't think she liked Celia, it was Annabeth who stepped in. She pointed out that Palaemon lived in Poseidon's palace, so it was only reasonable for Palaemon's daughter to live in Poseidon House. Not even Chiron could find any fault with that, and it meant one less person in Hermes House, so I officially got a housemate. Sure, it was annoying to no longer be able to leave my dirty laundry everywhere, but it was also good not to be alone.

The real change, however, was that now everyone knew you could get away with sleepovers, and I still had four unused bedrooms. Whenever someone needed a break from their own siblings, they'd end up in Poseidon House. More nights than not Nico (and therefore Bianca) ended up at my place. He tended to drive everyone a little bit nuts, but I started to get used to it. At times, Nico's naivety even made me smile. If Luke was the big brother I'd always wanted, Nico was the little brother I'd never asked for. And I was determined to be a better influence on Nico than Luke had ever been on me.

The sleepovers drove Chiron nuts, but I think Mr. D actually found it funny, because he didn't turn any of us into animals. Some of the other houses got in on it as well. The two kids of Eros, Tracy and Arden, moved in with their aunts and uncles in Aphrodite House, and now every child of the minor gods was trying to find a reason to move to less-crowded houses. So long as there were a dozen unclaimed kids, Hermes House would be packed, but I felt proud to have started something long over-due. It's not like the gods cared anyways; they got a whole host of new sacrifices by demigods glad to have one roommate and not four.

I was worried Chiron would put a stop to it after a nasty break-up between Arden and Kerry left Aphrodite House in tatters, but he just sighed and changed the rule from 'no dating your siblings' to 'no dating anyone in your house'. Everyone won out, except for Arden, who I'm pretty sure Kerry stabbed for cheating on her. But hey, he had it coming.

The other big change that spring was that Nikia, son of Demeter, took over as sword fighting coach in Luke's stead. I'd never imagined the kids of Demeter knew how to fight at all, but Nikia beat me in every sparring match for three straight weeks. I loved it. After a while, I could even go down to the training pitch without thinking about Luke, and I definitely got better.

In April, I met the Huntress of Artemis, a scary bunch of girls who hated men in exchange for immortality. We didn't end up getting along very well, mainly because Artemis had personally singled out Annabeth as a recruit. I couldn't stand the thought of losing her, not so soon after Luke. Luckily, she didn't seem very interested. Bianca was. I thought Nico was going to have a breakdown when she told him she was considering joining. I think the only reason she didn't want because of how hard he cried. When they left, their leader, Zoe, gave Bianca with a business card in case she changed her mind. More than once I caught Bianca looking at it, and every time I felt like I'd been punched in the gut.

I really didn't want to lose any more friends.

There were other events that I'm sure that would seem crazy to kids who went to normal schools, but I can't really think of anything major. Assume on any given day someone had an accident, got in a fight, or made something explode, and you'll have covered all of your bases.

The whole time, I kept an eye out for Luke, but there was no sign of him. He didn't send me any more letters or come back to school. As the number-one enemy of the gods, Hades would have reported it if he died, but he seemed to have dropped off the face of the earth. There weren't even anymore attempts to revive Kronos or start World War III. A part of me would have preferred if there was. I didn't like this waiting game. The Greek way was one of direct confrontation.

Then, one night during final's week ,I was up late studying and heard a noise down by the shore. I frowned and went out on the porch to see what it was. Were the seniors throwing a late-night beach bash? Everyone I knew seemed too worried about exams to be out past curfew.

It wasn't the seniors. It was too dark to really make out any faces, but I saw five or six kids following behind some child of Hecate with dueling torches. Without hesitation, I followed them. I didn't need to be a child of Athena to know they were up to something, and my gut told me it was nothing good.

I stayed in the dunes, just far enough back that they couldn't see me. They were talking lightly, laughing about something, though there was a hint of nervousness to them as well. Finally, they came to a stop. The child of Hecate-I'm pretty sure it was JJ, a senior-waved his hands. I felt a ripple of power, like we were stepping through the school's magic borders. In a way we were, but only because we were leaving the protection of the school.

Once they'd all stepped through, I followed after, and figured out pretty quickly where they were going. In the distance, I could make the lights of a huge boat. Somehow I just knew it was a cruise ship. Docked by the shore was a large motor boat, a tall teen leaning against it. For a moment, I thought it was Luke, but as the group got closer I got a clear look at his face and decided I didn't recognize him. He looked maybe sixteen or seventeen, but he wasn't a student. I knew everyone at school by face if not by name, and I'd never seen him before.

There were others there as well, rough, dangerous looking kids. I knew there were demigods out there who for one reason or another didn't go to AA, and figured these were them. Not many mortals could look so intimidating.

The good news, there were enough people there that I could join the crowd without anyone recognizing me. Still, I stuck to the side, next to a girl even younger than me with the tell-tale eyes of Athena.

"Alright," said the guy leaning against the boat. "It's midnight, so we'll start. I'm Stelio, and that's about all you need to know about me. We're not going to be defined by our godly parents anymore. The only thing more important than us is our cause."

It didn't take a genius for me to figure out their cause. This whole thing stunk of Kronos. But where was Luke? Either he'd given up on his insane quest (unlikely) or this meeting was too low-grade for him. But if this meeting was too low-grade, then just how many people were actually involved?

"We all know why we're here. The gods' cruelty has brought us to this point. For years they've used us and thrown us away, but no more. Finally we have a chance to do something about it, to bring them to their knees, and they're powerless to stop us. Look around you. Look at this movement we're building, and ask yourself 'if the gods are worth fearing, why haven't they struck us down already?' It's because they can't! They're weak, and they're prideful. They don't think we're a threat. I wonder if they'll be saying the same thing when we tear Olympus down brick-by-brick!"

A cheer passed through the crowd, though I noticed various degrees of nervousness. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Silena Beauregard frowning as the other AA students around her cheered. The daughter of Athena by my side rubbed the back of her neck nervously.

"Aboard the Princess Andromeda, our lord is already beginning to reform. With every soul that pledges themselves to our cause, he grows stronger. Soon he shall deliver all he has promised, and this is why you must hesitate no longer. When the day comes for Kronos to rise, he will reward those who came first the greatest."

Shiver crept down my spine, but it sounded oddly like a TV ad 'But wait, there's more! The first fifty callers who betray their parents will receive a 'Kronos's Army' tee-shirt free. That's right! Act now and you're receive this twenty-dollar value absolutely free!'

Still, there was a reason TV ads worked so well, especially on kids. You tell an impulsive demigod they have to 'act now' or it will be too late, and they'll forget every reservation they have.

"We are not like the gods. We won't turn on those unwilling to fight for us. But if you're ready to take back everything the gods have stolen from us, get on this boat behind me, and I will bring you to your new family."

A bunch of kids immediately surged forward, climbing onto the boat. Most of them were younger, my age or just a little bit older. As for the teens, I guess they were cynical enough to know that Kronos's promises were no doubt lies. A few of them wandered towards the boat, but most of them shook their heads and left.

The girl next to me frowned, then asked, "Have you ever heard of Achilles Academy?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"Is it a good place?"

I smiled. There were a lot of things I didn't know- the answers to my science final tomorrow among them- but I knew the answer to her question. "Yeah, it is. It's messy sometimes, but that's how you know everyone there is your family. A real family. Not… not like this. Kronos only takes. He has nothing to give."

The girl nodded then backed away, heading towards the road. I breathed a sigh of relief. There were a dozen kids already on the boat, ready to pledge themselves to Kronos, but I was glad to see this girl walk away. It gave me hope for all of us. No doubt Kronos was recruiting like this throughout the country, but if this daughter of Athena could see through the lies, others would as well.

At that moment, I watched as JJ and most of the other AA kids loaded on the boat. Only Silena and Chris Rodriguez, who I knew from Hermes House, remained on the shore. I wanted to stay and see what they would do, but the crowd was thinning, and I was going to be spotted if I didn't leave soon. Who knew what orders Luke had out with regards to me? He'd promised not to force me to help Kronos, but I didn't know if I could trust him anymore. The last five months may have made him desperate, and he'd lied to me before.

I backed into the dunes, prepared to go back to school, when I heard someone shout my name, "Percy!"

I jumped, hand going to Riptide in my pocket, but it was only Chris. He and I weren't friends, but we'd sparred a few time. At the very least, I didn't think he was going to attack me.

"I thought that was you," Chris told me, a cheeky smile on his face. For a moment, he looked a lot like Luke, and I tried to remember if Chris was a son of Hermes or unclaimed. I thought he was just unclaimed, but seeing that glint in his eyes… I really was reminded a lot of Luke.

I didn't say anything, but Chris carried on anyways, "I'm surprised you got invited, you know, after everything that happened. But I guess you and Luke were really close, weren't you?"

"Yeah. I guess we were," I echoed sadly. There wasn't much else I could say. Even if Chris hadn't signed up yet, he had to have done something to get recruited like this. There certainly hadn't been an announcement at camp for this little rally. I had trusted Luke and he'd betrayed me for Kronos. I wasn't about to tell a guy I barely knew all about how I spent every day trying to decide between killing Luke and joining Kronos just so I could see him again.

Chris nodded, casting a glance over at the boat. The engine was revving, telling those who still lingered that they needed to decide quickly. If Chris wanted his t-shirt, he had to go. He sighed, looking almost mournful, "I've known Luke for two years, so I'm going to give you a piece of advise- join now, while he'll still take you. The longer you wait, the less leverage you have. That's all."

Having said what he'd come to say, Chris backed off, towards the boat, but now it was my turn to call after him, "Chris! You don't need to do this. I don't always like the gods either, but Kronos doesn't care who gets hurt along the way. He's just going to use you."

Chris frowned, but I couldn't tell if he thought I was right, or if he thought I was wrong. Either way, he shrugged it off like it was nothing, and ran towards the boat. My heart like led, I didn't wait to see them go, just trudged back to camp.

The next morning at breakfast, I was relieved to see Silena sitting at the Aphrodite table. Sure, her eyes looked a little puffy, but she was there, smiling and laughing with her siblings. I liked Silena, and not just because she was supposed to be swim team captain next year. She was a really nice girl. It was hard for me to imagine her attracted to Kronos's movement at, but I was just glad to see she'd come to her senses and returned to school where she belonged. I got temptation. I got anger. It was good to see that, for her, love and family won out.

One glance towards the Hermes table, however, and my stomach dropped. Lou Ellen sat sobbing next to Bianca, probably because all four of her siblings had defected. Between them, Chris, Luke, and all those who'd moved into other houses, everyone at the Hermes table fit comfortably. You would have thought that was a good thing, but it was utterly depressing.

Before dismissing us to take our exams, Chiron stood at the front of the cafeteria looking grave. We all quieted down, but he did not immediately speak. His head was bowed, and I wondered if he was praying. To who though? Stelio had been right; the gods could have struck them down for just being there. They hadn't. They hadn't done anything to stop their own children from going to serve Kronos. I didn't see how prayer was going to make them care.

Finally Chiron lifted his head, and addressed us, "No doubt there are many rumors regarding events which occurred last night. I would urge you all not to dwell too much upon them. Each hero must decide his or her path, and we can only hope our friends find their way. Know only that those who have left appear to have done so of their own will. There is no reason to believe any of you are being danger."

AKA we weren't about to be kidnapped. It was always a stretch to say we weren't in any danger. Our whole lives revolved around being in danger.

I waited for Chiron to say something else, to actually address the fact that people were leaving school to serve Kronos. But he didn't say anything, just dismissed us for our first exam. It made me angry. The least he could do was tell it like it was. They'd betrayed the gods. On paper at least, they were now our enemies. Didn't he realize that this wouldn't be the end of it? First Luke, now these five-there would be others. We were all a little bit bitter at our parents. Most of us were a lot bitter at our parents. Shouldn't Chiron at least try to convince us that joining Kronos was a bad idea? I got that the gods weren't supposed to interfere, but this was crossing into downright neglect. Shouldn't someone do something?

Annabeth came over and grabbed my shoulder, "You're angry, aren't you?"

"No one is even trying to get them back!" Of course I was angry. The past few months, I'd been trying to keep my anger under check, focus on how much I cared about the people here at school. It'd worked. I loved AA. I loved my friends and Poseidon House. I loved swim practices, capture the flag, and staying up too late on the weekends with Annabeth talking about absolutely nothing at all.

But why did it feel like every time the grown-ups opened their mouths, it was to discount one of their own?

_That's not true, Percy. You know it's not true. Your dad cares about you. You haven't heard from him in four months, but he cares about you. And Hermes cares about Luke or he wouldn't have asked you twice to help him. Would you really like it better if the gods solved all your problems for you?_

"I just worry no one cares."

Annabeth nodded, but for a moment, she was silent. Then she squeezed my arm, and told me quietly, "We care Percy. That will have to be enough… Come on, we have a science final."

I sighed and followed her. I didn't know what it said about the gods if they relied on a bunch of middle-schoolers to save their kids and the world, but Annabeth was right about one thing- life went on. Science exams and all.

The rest of the week got a little bit better. My exams were rough, but I'm pretty sure I passed them all. Friday night, after all our exams were done, Apollo House led a great big sing-along campfire. Chiron distributed leather necklaces to all the new students, and our first bead, proof we'd survived one year of demigod training and math class. The shape of the bead- a trident- made me blush, but everyone insisted that my quest to stop World War III and Kronos's ascension was worth commemorating. I tried to take it as a compliment and not think about the fact that my quest wouldn't have had to happen at all if Luke hadn't betrayed us.

And just like that, with a final resounding rendition of "Down By The Aegean", Chiron sent us back to our houses for the last night of the year. In the morning, our parents would be picking us up, or in my case, I'd be taking a train into the city. Gabe had a court date my mom didn't want to miss, and so I was happy to make my way home alone.

In the morning, I made my rounds saying goodbye to all my friends. Celia suggested I come and visit her sometime so we could go sailing. Bianca told me she was hoping the summer would give her a chance to unravel some of her past. Nico informed me that Chiron had agreed to pay him for cleaning out the Pegasus stalls, so he'd be able to afford a new mythomagic expansion pack by the summer's end. As for Annabeth, she had the biggest surprise of all.

"Maybe for your birthday Chiron will let you come into the city and we can hang out," I suggested to her while waiting to leave. She was only half paying attention to me, casting glances towards the camp's border and the line of departing kids. I blamed that on her being jealous she didn't have anywhere to go. I was wrong.

She spun her head back towards me, tilting it to the side. "I didn't tell you? I'm going to Virginia for the summer. I think… I think it's time to face my family issues head-on before they become something more. But I'll Iris message you once I'm settled in. If things are going alright, maybe you can come to Virginia and we'll go to Monticello. Thomas Jefferson invented automatic doors, did you know that?"

I hadn't. But it made me smile to see Annabeth looking excited about Virginia. I was all for second chances these days.

At that moment, Chiron called out for Annabeth, and she dashed down the hill to meet with her family. I watched her awkwardly embrace the man I could only assume was her father, and then saw her step-mom hug her as well. Figuring she'd be alright, I climbed in the van Argus was using to take a bunch of us to the train station. It was time to go home.

I rode with a bunch of other AA kids into Penn Station, but then we went our separate ways. It was a beautiful June day, so I figured I might as well walk home rather than take a cab. Cabs were safer and easier, but I wasn't exactly expecting a summer that was either. I'd run into monsters during both February and April break, but it was a small price to pay for time with my mom. Especially because she's promised me we'd be taking a full week out on Montauk for my birthday.

About a mile into the walk I regretted it, because it was hard to part through crowds with a suitcase in tow. Still, my stubbornness persisted and I refused to let the tourist season defeat me! I started pushing the suitcase in front of me like it was a battering ram and continued down the sidewalk. Finally I reached Central Park, an the path opened enough for me to walk normally. I paused to readjust. When I looked up, Luke was standing right in front of me.

He looked exactly the same as he always did. In fact, he was wearing the same t-shirt as when we fought in the Underworld. I wondered if he'd planned that or even noticed. If he had planned it, I didn't know if it was a threat, or a sign of peace. I mean, this was Luke. I didn't know anything anymore.

His sword was nowhere to be seen, which I suppose was a good sign. He didn't want to fight. I sort of did, but mostly I didn't, if that makes any sense. For a moment I just stared at him. Then he sheepishly shrugged and said, "Hey."

I bit my tongue. _If you don't have anything nice to say don't_ … You know what, Mom? I love you, but I'm not sure that little rule is always the best approach. I was angry at Luke. Furious. Not just for framing me. Or for lying about framing me. Not even for trying to start a war, though maybe I was a little mad about that. No. The real problem was he'd promised we were a team, and then picked a path behind my back. The disappearing for four months certainly didn't help his cause either.

"Hey Luke! Nice to see you. Glad Kronos hasn't killed you. How've you been?"

Luke rolled his eyes, but retorted, "Hey Percy. Nice to see you too. Glad the gods haven't killed you. How've you been?"

I suppose I deserved that response. I didn't know what to say though. If I wanted to help Luke, it probably wasn't a smart idea to make him angry with me. He'd come for a reason, though I didn't know how he could have predicted I would walk home. I suppose you live with someone for four months and you get know their habits, but still.

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck, "Why are you here, Luke?"

"I wanted to talk to you. I miss you, Percy. I miss having you by my side. I don't understand why you're making me out to be the bad guy."

Wow. Had he actually said that? He was acting like I was the one who'd betrayed him! " _You_ did this Luke. _You_ went behind my back. _You_ lied to me. You knew Hades didn't have the bolt but you tricked me. How many times did we almost die on that quest? And for what? To help a titan? Everyone knows they're evil!"

"Says who, Percy, our teachers? What do they know except what the gods have told them? If the titans were so bad, why was that called the 'golden age'? People lived in peace and happiness. There was no suffering until Zeus tricked Pandora! Everything wrong in this world comes from the gods, not the titans. If I'm wrong, tell me, but I bet you don't have a clue why we say the gods are better than the titans."

Well, generally eating your kids was frowned upon. Except I knew Zeus had done the same thing to Athena, so I couldn't exactly use that in my argument. Unfortunately, that was about all I did know about the titans. They were evil. They ate their children. Zeus saved us all by overthrowing them. That was all they taught us. I could name a bunch of horrible things the gods, my dad included, had done, but the only titan I knew besides Kronos was Prometheus- and he had invented humanity, for which I was kind of grateful.

But honestly, I didn't care, and I told Luke as much, "Don't you get it? Maybe the gods are a mess. I don't care! I don't need to punish the gods for their crimes. It won't make anything better. How many people-half-bloods, mortals, nature spirits- would have to die to see the gods fall? It's not worth it! I don't want to solve every problem in the world. I want to go to school, have friends, and come home to my mom who loves me no matter what."

Luke's eyes darkened, and he looked at me disgusted, "Then you're selfish, Percy, and you're not the guy I thought you were. If you're not willing to fight for a better world, then I can't change your mind. But if you think the gods are going to let you live in peace, than you're an idiot too. There is going to be a war. I hope you're happy when you realize you're fighting, just for the wrong side."

He started walking away. I wanted to scream from frustration, but instead I shouted, "Luke wait!"

He stopped walking, and turned towards me. For a second, I had his undivided attention. Unfortunately, I didn't actually have anything to say. I couldn't stand the thought of him returning to Kronos. I knew, deep down, that he was being lied to. Kronos was evil; I just couldn't prove it yet.

"I…"

"It's alright, Percy. I understand. Just think about what I said. And tell Annabeth I'm sorry, will you? I've got to go. See you around Percy. Enjoy your summer."

I stood helpless as Luke walked away. The only way I was going to stop him was by beating him in a fight, and I wasn't sure I could. Besides, I wanted to punch Luke, but I didn't want to fight him. There was a big difference between the two.

I stayed there long after Luke was gone, and then kicked my suitcase a few times for good measure. I scared away a few pigeons and some kids playing nearby, but it did make me feel better. I was still in a pretty foul mood though when I finally got home. It was only the smell of cookies coming from inside the apartment which forced me to let it go.

My mom was inside, pulling a tray of cookies out of the oven. She smiled brightly, and it warmed my heart. "Perfect timing. I was starting to get worried something had happened. But you're home! Congratulations Percy. You finally did it, a full year without any trouble…"

My mom and I looked at each other and burst out laughing. "Well, you didn't get expelled. End of August you'll go back for seventh grade at the same school. I'm proud of you, Percy. I really am."

"Thanks Mom." I hadn't even realized it, but she was right. For the first time ever, I hadn't gotten expelled. Actually, I was a hero; I'd fought my best friend to save the world. Sometimes I wondered if I should really be praised for that, but my mom was handing me a cookie, so I decided to focus on the positive. I'd done it. I'd finally found a home and a family at AA. It was messy, dangerous, and generally a mess, but it was mine. As summer began, I wasn't dreading its end. Whatever awaited me, I would be prepared, and if I wasn't, there were people I could rely on to help me through it.

Besides, if I could manage a full year without getting expelled, I could do anything. I would save Luke. I would stop Kronos. I would pass seventh grade. I'd probably have to fight for my life in the meantime, but I was good with a sword. Whatever monsters, mythical or not, the next year threw my way- I was ready. Bring it on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's a wrap folks. Hope you enjoyed. This is without a doubt my favorite story I've ever written. That said, I'm not sure I have the best news regarding a sequel. In short, I can't give you any news- good or bad- on that front. As much fun as I've had on this fanfic, I can't ever get paid for it. When I have a chance to write, I try to focus on that which I could someday publish. I'm not very good at staying focused though, so we'll see. I've already written the first chapter, so it's definitely a maybe. I totally could write the rest of the series, though the butterfly effect will be in full swing, and it might end up very different from the originals. I would also love to tackle the Heroes of Olympus series with this AU, maybe even Trials of Apollo, if I can stop sobbing every time I think about it. We'll see. I won't make any promises, but I'm a classics major, and that makes it really hard to put Percy Jackson out of my head for any extended period of time. Also, not to hold you hostage or anything, but I will be far more inclined towards writing a sequel if I was to get reviews telling me you'd actually read it. Begging has no down side, is all I'm saying. 
> 
> Thank you again for reading, and I hope to see you all again in the future.


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